LAKELAND, Fla.— Gleyber Torres, for the first time in his career, arrived to spring camp sporting a dark and robust beard.

He couldn’t do that the last seven years with the Yankees, who don’t allow their players to wear facial hair.

“Yeah, my wife really likes it and my family likes it,” he said with a chuckle. “First time I get to have a beard. I’m really happy to play with that.”

It was jokingly suggested that he send a selfie to some of his former teammates, who are training in Tampa, just to stick the needle in a little bit. But he’s not looking to stir up any more drama, not even in jest.

Torres had enough of that last season. He was benched by Yankees manager Aaron Boone for not running out a ground-ball. Boone earlier had called him out in the media for making “lazy” errors. Then, last month, Boone publicly threw Torres under the bus again saying he “refused to move to third base.”

To which Torres sent out a post on X that read “This again?” with a laughing emoji.

“To be honest, I don’t know what’s going on there,” Torres said Monday before the Tigers’ first official full-squad workout. “I was relieved. I thought everything was good. But I think not. So I don’t want to make any comments. Just turn the page.

“Whatever they have, they have. I’m just focusing on my goals this year and that’s to get better and help my team get back to the playoffs.”

Torres, 28, signed a one-year deal with the Tigers worth $15 million and he’s coming in highly motivated on two fronts: One, he will hit free agency again next offseason and he wants to reset his market value. Two, he wants to help the Tigers get back to the postseason.

And he knows the two go hand-in-hand.

“It’s high, higher,” Torres said when asked where his motivation level was at entering camp. “This is the year I have to get better on some points. I’m the type of player, I want to get better every time and I’ve got a beautiful opportunity here. What they did last year in the second half was really special. Getting to the postseason was amazing.

“I’m really motivated to get better every day.”

Torres has been getting a master class in second base play from infield coach Joey Cora, almost from the day he signed.

“We’ve been having conversations like two times a week,” Torres said. “Lots of information on what I like and what can help me. Today was the first day I worked out with him. It’s going to be a long season. Lots of work.

“But I know my weaknesses. I’ve come here to do my job and do my best to help this team, and Joey Cora can help me do these little things that are going to help me out.”

Torres made more errors than any second baseman in baseball the last two seasons, 15 in 2023 and 18 last year. He was a minus-11 defensive runs saved, better only than Houston’s Jose Altuve (minus-13).

“He can be a good defensive player, and he will be,” manager AJ Hinch said. “His work with Joey is going to be front and center. We feel we can get to his athleticism better. He obviously needs to get better going to his left. But playing a premier position up the middle, it’s going to be important for him to stay focused on the incremental things he can do to be an effective defender.”

As for the squabbling and benching in New York, the Tigers have done their homework and have zero issues about Torres’ character and makeup.

“We did a lot of research on him,” Hinch said. “Both on the field, what he can do better, and also what makes him tick. My job is to try to bring the most out of him as a manager. I’ve talked to a number of people who have been around him, his former teammates, just trying to learn the person.

“He’s very humble. He’s very approachable and open. Our dialogue has been extremely good.”

There are no issues with Torres offensively. He is expected to provide the steady, productive right-handed bat the Tigers’ sought this offseason.

“He’s going to hit in multiple spots in the order, which should be no surprise to anyone here,” Hinch said. “What I love is that the quality of at-bat travels with him. He doesn’t have to be a different hitter if I hit him at the top of the order or the middle or anywhere else. The quality of at-bat is what draws us to him.

“He is a guy who is used to hitting in an important spot and I would expect him to fit in at the top of the lineup, especially against left-handed pitching.”

Torres started slowly last season but raked in the second half, .293/.361/.419 with a .780 OPS. He also had a monster ALCS against Cleveland, going 8 for 22. He was most effective for the Yankees hitting leadoff and setting the table for the big boppers like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

He slashed .283/.350/.405 with a .755 OPS in the leadoff spot. It’s easy to envision a scenario where Torres bats first against lefty starters and left-handed hitting Parker Meadows leading off against righties.

“I’m a simple guy,” Torres said. “I want to give 100% every time I play and try to help my team win. What (the Tigers) did last year was amazing. They showed their fans they can win. I’m coming here with the same mentality. Just winning.”

The Tigers pulled out all the stops to land Torres. They enlisted former Tiger and Torres’ best friend Gio Urshela and his Venezuelan idol Miguel Cabrera to help recruit him. Hinch and Cora were on the phone with him before he signed, when he signed and the day after he signed.

Hitting coaches Keith Beauregard and Lance Zawadzki traveled to Tampa to visit and work out with Torres at the indoor baseball facility that he owns and runs with Urshela.

“His experience is incredibly valuable,” Hinch said. “The quality of at-bats has always been there. He’s a very smart player. We want to make him better in a lot of different areas. But he played on the biggest stage for one of the most pressurized teams in the sport and he coming right out of the World Series after we got our first taste of the playoffs.

“He can provide a lot of stability on a team that already has it, and a team that’s trying to take the next step.”

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