The New York Yankees look to be entering 2025 without a second baseman, perhaps the biggest issue on the roster. Whether the Yankees want to re-sign Gleyber Torres, sign or trade for someone, or use an internal option, they’ll have to make a decision sometime soon.
After Torres’ rough showing at times during the 2024 campaign, a reunion with the Yankees seems unlikely. Until he makes a decision, it’s always possible, but most indications point to him playing for a new team next season.
While Torres didn’t have the year he was looking to have, it wasn’t as bad as it always seemed. He was a valuable leadoff hitter and had an impressive second half, which should help him find a new home eventually.
Laura Albanese of Newsday predicted his new home will be with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Yankees American League East rival.
“The Yankees don’t sound like they’re hoping for a reunion, but there are certainly other teams who could use Torres’ skillset. While it’s true Torres suffered some mental gaffes both playing second base and on the base paths, he was still a valuable cog in the lineup, slashing .257/.330/.378,” Albanese wrote on December 26.
“He should come relatively cheap, all things considered, and that’s plenty tantalizing to teams. He’s familiar with the AL East, so why not stay there?”
Torres Has Turned Down Offers
It’s uncertain what Torres is looking for in his next team. He could be holding out until the New York Yankees make a clear decision, but he’ll have to decide sometime in the near future.
Some teams have viewed him as a third baseman, and according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Torres recently declined an offer because the Washington Nationals wanted him to play third.
“Gleyber Torres turned down the Nats because he didn’t want to play 3B,” Heyman wrote on December 26.
Heyman reported earlier in December that Torres was offered by the Los Angeles Angels, too, but he declined the offer.
“Somebody asked me, ‘Gleyber Torres to the Angels?’ I don’t think that’s happening,” Heyman said in December on a Bleacher Report stream. “At least not now. They did make him an offer. He declined the offer. I don’t think it was about the offer. If I know Gleyber Torres, I think most likely, he would prefer to be on the East Coast if he can, in Florida spring training. So I think that’s probably the reason behind that.”
Could the Yankees Bring Torres Back?
After comments from members of the New York Yankees front office, Torres returning doesn’t seem to be in the works. However, if the Yankees could sign him for a cheap deal and believe he’d be the best option for the price, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the two-time All-Star back on the roster.
Andres Chavez of Empire Sports Media believes it’s a possibility, adding the value he had in what seemed like a slow showing.
“The Yankees can, of course, go back to Gleyber Torres if his market collapses, on a short-term deal,” Chavez wrote on December 25. “He was, after all, a quality leadoff hitter in the second half and into the postseason. Torres did manage to finish 2024 as an above-average offensive performer with a 104 wRC+, after a miserable start.
“With a career 113 wRC+, the Yankees might be willing to overlook his occasional defensive and baserunning miscues for the right price.”
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