The New York Yankees have been very busy this offseason in improving their team after losing superstar slugger Juan Soto to their cross-town rivals, the New York Mets.
From trading for outfielder Cody Bellinger, adding veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and inking lefty starting pitcher Max Fried to an eight-year deal, the Bronx Bombers are looking like contenders once again in the American League in 2025.
However, New York will most likely be without their veteran second baseman, Gleyber Torres; after spending seven seasons in the Bronx, the 28-year-old is not expected to be back next season. But in this latest prediction about Torres’ next possible destination, could the Yankees be seeing more of the second baseman after all?
Laura Albanese of Newsday is predicting that the Toronto Blue Jays will sign the two-time All-Star as they look to bolster their roster and rebound from their disappointing 2024 season.
“The Yankees don’t sound like they’re hoping for a reunion, but there are certainly other teams who could use Torres’ skillset,” Albanese wrote. “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. 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?”
Despite a strong performance down the stretch and in the postseason, which also saw him bat in the leadoff spot, Torres had a down year by his standards, logging only a .709 OPS with 15 home runs and 63 RBI across 154 regular season games. The two-time All-Star’s defense at second base wasn’t particularly sharp either, with 18 errors; some of them ended up being the deciding factor in a handful of games.
Still, Toronto is need of a reliable infielder to pair with both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, with second base still being a position of need. Torres may also show interest in playing third base to increase his market value, which would further make him a fit for the Blue Jays due to their lack of a solid contributor at that position as well.
Even though Torres’ defensive miscues from last year may have cost the Yankees some games, adding a player like him would not be a bad move for the Blue Jays, as he still brings a solid bat with 138 career home runs to the table.
