Gleyber David Torres Castro (born December 13, 1996) is a Venezuelan major league baseball shortstop and second baseman for the New York Yankees (MLB).On April 22, 2018, he debuted in MLB and was made an All-Star in 2018 and 2019.
Torres was born and raised in Caracas in Venezuela by his parents Eusebio Torres and Ibelise Castro. Caracas is located in the northern section of the country, along the Guaire River.
Torres began playing baseball as a center fielder, catcher, pitcher, and later shortstop when he was four years old. His love for baseball increased as he watched games on TV and idolized Omar Vizquel, his favorite player. Torres also played basketball in high school, but he opted out on his father’s advice to concentrate on baseball.
Torres signed as an international free agent with the Chicago Cubs in 2013 for a $1.7 million signing bonus. In 2014, he made his professional debut with the Arizona Cubs of the Arizona League’s Rookie level.
Later, he was promoted to the Class A-Short Season Northwest League’s Boise Hawks. He hit.297/.386/.440 with two home runs in 50 games for the two teams combined.
Torres, Adam Warren, Billy McKinney, and Rashad Crawford were traded to the Yankees on July 25, 2016, for bullpen pitcher Aroldis Chapman. He began his Yankees career with the Class A-Advanced Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League.