DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers extended a qualifying offer to Gleyber Torres, their free-agent second baseman, on Thursday night.

Torres now has until Nov. 18 to decide whether to accept the offer — a guaranteed one-year deal worth $22.05 million for 2026 — or reject it to seek a better deal with another team.

Since elite players usually prefer multi-year deals, QOs are rarely accepted. But by extending such an offer — which is equal to the average salary of MLB’s top 125 players — the Tigers would receive draft-pick compensation should Torres decide to sign elsewhere.

It could be a close call for Torres, 29, who had an All-Star season in 2025 but saw his offensive numbers tail off dramatically down the stretch. After the season, he revealed that he had been playing through a hernia injury that ultimately required surgery. He’s expected to be ready for spring training.

The Tigers last extended a qualifying offer after the 2014 season. Both pitcher Max Scherzer and catcher/designated hitter Victor Martinez declined the one-year, $15.3 million offer. Scherzer went on to sign a massive deal with the Washington Nationals, while Martinez returned to Detroit on a four-year contract to finish his career.

As compensation for Scherzer’s departure, the Tigers received the No. 34 overall pick in the 2015 draft, which they used to select outfielder Christin Stewart.

The Tigers most recently forfeited a draft pick when they signed left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez after the 2021 season. The Red Sox used the No. 79 overall selection in 2022 to draft outfielder Roman Anthony, one of the American League’s top rookies this year.

Detroit didn’t have to give up a pick to sign shortstop Javier Báez that same winter because he had been traded midseason. Players traded during the season are ineligible to receive a qualifying offer.

Players can only be tagged once, so if Torres receives the offer this winter, he would be able to enter the market unencumbered after the 2026 season.

Torres spent parts of seven seasons with the New York Yankees before signing a one-year, $15 million deal with the Tigers last winter.

At the break, Torres had walked 51 times and struck out only 46 times while posting an .812 OPS in 359 plate appearances. His walk rate (14.2 percent) was the best of his career, while his strikeout rate (12.8 percent) was the lowest. It was enough to earn his first All-Star honors since 2019.

After the break, Torres had a 12.6-percent walk rate and 20.4-percent strikeout rate with a .659 OPS in 269 plate appearances.

“I think we have a really good group here,” Torres said shortly after the season ended in the American League Division Series in Seattle. “I’m really, really proud of my team. They gave me the opportunity to sign here for moments like this. During the season, through ups and downs, we always stayed together, and that’s what’s really special.”

Torres said he had a great experience in Detroit and would love to come back.

“We’ll see what’s going to happen,” he said. “I don’t know yet. I haven’t talked with my agent. Hopefully, we’ll have a really good conversation here (with Detroit).

“I feel really good with this group. Since the first day, I’ve felt at home. This year was really special.”

This story will be updated.

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