The New York Yankees have multiple players from their 2024 roster on the open market, including fan-favorite second baseman Gleyber Torres. Torres playing for a different team will be interesting. Still, all indications point to the Yankees moving on from him and allowing the former young sensation to sign with a different team.
Will Leitch of MLB.com predicted that would be the case, predicting Torres would sign with the Seattle Mariners in MLB free agency.
“The Mariners have to do something for their lineup. While Torres didn’t turn out to be the star the Yankees thought he was going to be when they traded Aroldis Chapman for him nearly a decade ago, he’s certainly an upgrade for the Mariners, who need every bat they can get.
“This is a big, if quixotic, advantage that the Mariners have this offseason: Their lineup was so feeble last year that even an average hitter — or above average, as Torres can certainly be — is a bigger improvement for them than it would be for anyone else,” Leitch wrote on December 11.
Torres’ Potential Contract
Torres’ down campaign in 2024 could hurt his chances of landing the deal he wants.
If he had played better, returning to the New York Yankees wouldn’t have been out of the question.
Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors brought up the idea of whether Torres would be interested in taking a one-year contract, which would allow him to regain his value and hit the free agency market again in the 2025 offseason.
“MLBTR ranked Torres 20th on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, with a very fluid projection of a two-year, $36MM deal.
“It is easy to imagine Torres taking even a one-year deal with the intention of testing the market again after a strong 2025 season, or he might prefer to lock in the security of a longer-term contract if such an offer is on the table,”
Even if he took a one-year deal, signing with the Yankees doesn’t seem likely, with Jack Curry of YES Network saying they have no plan to pursue him.
Who Could Replace Torres?
The New York Yankees have options to replace Torres, and there’s a scenario where they could get creative with it. If they’re willing to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base, it could open the door for a second baseman.
If that isn’t the plan, internal options such as Caleb Durbin would be the best bet.
Brian Cashman said Durbin is the favorite to start at second base in 2025 at the winter meetings, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. However, Durbin will have to earn a spot in spring training, and with no Big League experience, there could be some learning curves.
“Brian Cashman said Caleb Durbin is the current odds-on favorite to be the Yankees’ second baseman in 2025.
“This can obviously change depending on what the team adds, but right now, Durbin is the leading candidate. He mentioned Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza could surprise,” Kirschner wrote on December 9.
Whichever way they go, the Yankees are expected to have someone else playing second next year.
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Yankees’ Fan Favorite Predicted to Sign With Mariners