Why the Royals should think twice before pursuing Gleyber Torres in free agency

When ESPN's Jeff Passan listed second baseman Gleyber Torres as a "perfect fit" for the Kansas City Royals, it was a no-brainer to many fans.

The infielder left the New York Yankees and bet on himself, taking a one-year deal with the upstart Detroit Tigers. Fast forward a year, Torres was instrumental in the Tigers' winning ways in 2025 and earned his third All-Star selection at the keystone.

Considering his production, age, and durability, Passan isn't exaggerating when he calls him a great fit. However, there's a catch to bringing in Torres that will cause Kansas City to pause, and for good reason.

That of course is the qualifying offer.

The qualifying offer could make a Gleyber Torres fit in Kansas City difficult

The Tigers extended a qualifying offer to Torres, essentially offering him a one-year deal worth $22.025 million for the 2026 season. The second baseman can accept the deal and explore his free agency options next winter, or decline and look for that new deal this offseason. Usually, the qualifying offer isn't accepted, but teams leverage it for a specific reason: more draft capital.

Let's say Torres declines the qualifying offer and signs with another team. Detroit wouldn't be leaving empty-handed. According to MLB, they would receive a "compensation pick between the first round and Competitive Balance Round A if the lost player signs for at least $50 million. If the player signs for less than $50 million, the compensation pick comes after Competitive Balance Round B."

For Torres, who is expected to sign a multi-year pact worth more than $50 million, that would give the Tigers an additional pick in the 28th-35th overall range, depending on picks ahead of them. That comes at a cost for Kansas City, inversely.

Let's say the Royals sign Torres themselves to the four-year, $82 million deal that FanGraphs' users predict for the infielder. That would put Kansas City into the bracket of losing their third-highest selection in the 2026 MLB Draft.

While that pick could land anywhere from the second to third round, and would equate to their second-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft if they made this move last offseason. While just being a top-100 pick doesn't immediately translate to big-league impact, can Kansas City take that chance with their lowly regarded farm system?

Kansas City's farm system has yet to rebound from the wave of prospect promotions in 2022, largely due to poor drafting and player development. The system is getting deeper, but with Jac Caglianone graduating from prospect status and Carter Jensen assuredly doing so in 2026, the pipeline is left without an unquestionable star prospect.

Here's how the following outlets rank Kansas City's farm system in their latest rankings:

• MLB.com - 25th (Updated Aug. 13, 2025)
• ESPN - 27th (Updated Aug. 26, 2025)
• FanGraphs' THE BOARD - 28th (Updated Nov. 10, 2025)
• Bleacher Report - 23rd (Updated Sept. 26, 2025)
• Baseball America - 24th (Updated Aug. 13, 2025)

While there is some variance there, the Royals' prospect pipeline is still considered below average heading into 2026. Kansas City needs to address its second base problems, but the penalty associated with Torres shouldn't be ignored. That is forgoing an opportunity to build out the farm system more, but to be fair, Kansas City has not exactly cashed in on drafting talent in the projected range. Here is a list of the Royals' last eight players they selected with their third-highest draft pick.

Sure, Carson Roccaforte appears to be on the rise, but most of his recent peers haven’t developed into core pieces. The Royals haven't historically hit on these types of picks, so perhaps surrendering one for a proven MLB bat like Torres is worth the risk.

Kansas City desperately needs to address second base. Michael Massey has struggled with both health and consistency, while Jonathan India failed to establish himself as a long-term solution in his first season with the club. Torres would be an instant upgrade and a middle-of-the-order presence for a team aiming to compete in the AL Central.

But the draft pick penalty isn’t just a footnote, not for a team trying to restock a farm system. This is a delicate calculation: win now, or keep building the base?

If the Royals are serious about competing in 2026, Torres makes sense. But they should go in with eyes wide open about the cost, not just in dollars, but in organizational depth.