Yankees Predicted to Cut Ties With Fan Favorite Slugger

The end of Gleyber Torres‘ time with the New York Yankees seems to be here. According to Jack Curry of YES Network, the Yankees “have no plans” to bring the right-handed hitting second baseman.

Curry added that he expects Caleb Durbin to be on the opening day roster, giving the Yankees a clear replacement for the two-time All-Star.

“I don’t know how big his role will be in 2025, but I would bet you guys a dollar right now Caleb Durbin is on the opening day 26-man roster,” Curry said on “Hot Stove” on December 2.

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Torres Predicted to Depart in Free Agency

Many have suspected that Torres won’t return to the New York Yankees this winter. While Torres has played well for the Yankees throughout his seven-year career, he struggled for parts of the 2024 campaign.

The Yankees also need money to re-sign Juan Soto. Despite Torres not being expected to sign a massive long-term deal, every dollar helps in their pursuit of Soto.

Ryan Garcia of Empire Sports Media predicted the Yankees would cut ties with him this winter, highlighting factors against him.

“Gleyber Torres became a huge part of the Yankees’ run to the World Series with his excellent play at the top of the lineup, turning around a miserable season in mid-August. He posted a .386 OBP and 142 wRC+ after being moved up the order and the Yankees would probably improve with him in their lineup again in 2025, but there are some big factors working against him here.

“The Yankees have never shown an interest in committing to Gleyber Torres long-term, as they didn’t engage in extension conversations with him after an excellent 2023 season,” Garcia wrote on November 8.

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Torres Could Be ‘Upside Play’

Looking at Torres’ career, there’s reason to believe his play in 2024 won’t happen again. He turned things around late in the campaign and had some decent moments in the postseason.

Still, it’s tough to evaluate him as a player and not think about his best days being behind him, even if things won’t be as bad moving forward. Torres was once considered one of the top second basemen in Major League Baseball during parts of his New York Yankees career.

In recent seasons, he was just an average player, hurting his value as he hits free agency.

From 2018 to 2021, Torres slashed .268/.338/.456 with a 114 OPS+ and 74 home runs. From 2022 to 2024, Torres slashed .253/.330/.427 with 64 home runs and a 111 OPS+.

Despite slowing down some, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report ranked him the No. 19 player available this winter and believes he could be an “upside play.”

“It’s wild that out of Torres’ 138 career home runs, 45 percent of them came in his first two seasons. But if I’m an exec looking at his youth and track record as a two-time All-Star, I’m seeing a rare sort of upside play,” Rymer wrote on December 2. “And while Torres should be interested in re-testing the market next winter, a multiyear deal with an opt-out suits him best.”

He’ll be 28 on December 13, so improving shouldn’t be out of the question, as Rymer suggested.

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