Could Yankees trade Gleyber Torres? All-Star's struggles raise questions about future
BALTIMORE — In the here and now, Aaron Boone’s decision to switch Gleyber Torres from shortstop to second base is about the current AL wild card race.
“Over the last week, the weight of a couple of mistakes he’s made out there (defensively) have been a little impactful,’’ said Boone, adding that the switch could “free him up and put us in a position to go out and play our best baseball.’’
But once this season ends, the Yankees will face some hard organizational decisions involving Torres, his future in pinstripes and the club’s infield composition.
If the Yankees are going forward with Torres, it’s likely a commitment to him as a second baseman.
And that shakes up the Yankees infield, where third baseman Gio Urshela is now the shortstop and DJ LeMahieu has gone to third base to accommodate Torres at second.
LeMahieu is better as a second baseman, and he is signed through 2026 at $15 million annually.
Urshela is under team control through 2023 and he’s best suited at third base.
At first base, Luke Voit is under control through 2024 and Anthony Rizzo is in his free agent walk year.
Scenario A: Trade Luke Voit
That opens first base for LeMahieu, though his best value – as GM Brian Cashman noted after his re-signing – is at second base.
Urshela stays at third base, Torres plays second base, and the Yankees go searching for a shortstop (unless they get one in a deal for Voit).
Dealing Voit and Urshela could allow for re-signing Rizzo at first base and moving LeMahieu to third, though that improves one infield corner and weakens another.
Scenario B: Diving into free agency
Do the Yankees really want to go this route?
As you’ve heard, there’s a major class of shortstops – led by Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Trevor Story and Javier Baez – ready to hit the winter market.
The Yankees also have roughly $200 million owed to 16 players, adding up guaranteed contracts and arbitration estimates.
Scenario C: Temporary solution
Sign a one-year stopgap shortstop, like veteran Jose Iglesias, and wait for the kids to arrive.
Two of the Yankees’ top three prospects are shortstops, as rated by MLB Pipeline.
Oswald Peraza, 21, is having a solid all-around season at Class AA Somerset, but Watchung’s Anthony Volpe, 20, is really causing excitement with his year at Class A (Tampa & Hudson Valley).
But 2023 might be too early an ETA for Volpe and/or Peraza.
This year, the Yanks also drafted shortstop Trey Sweeney, 21, (rated No. 7 in the Yanks' system by MLB Pipeline) in the first round (20th overall).
Scenario D: Trade Gleyber Torres
Unless the return is really enticing, this probably is not a good idea.
Torres is under team control through 2024, and his trade value does not match anything close to the winter of 2019-20, coming off his second All-Star season.
Plus, the Yankees would require established and controllable big league players in return, not an assortment of prospects.
Torres will only turn 25 in December, so there is room to grow.
“We forget sometimes he’s a very young player,’’ Boone said. “And it’s not totally uncommon to have some growing pains, even when you’ve had big-time success.
“I still think he has a chance to be an impact player in this league for a long time.’’