Even in first place in the American League East, it’s safe to say second base is an area of need for the New York Yankees.
Currently, the Yankees have DJ LeMahieu and Oswald Peraza splitting time at second base, with Jorbit Vivas waiting in the wings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
While LeMahieu and Peraza are sound defenders, neither has swung the bat particularly well. However, LeMahieu is showing more power this season than last, already matching last season’s total with two home runs in 20 games.
Was Parting Ways With Gleyber Torres a Mistake?
Second baseman Gleyber Torres spent the first seven years of his MLB career with the New York Yankees. Despite criticism from the fan base and media about his perceived lack of hustle, he performed relatively well. Torres even hit a career high of 38 home runs in 2019 at age 22.
Torres owns a .269/.381/.394 slash line with five homers, 30 RBIs, and a 122 OPS+ in his first 54 games with the Detroit Tigers. There’s little doubt he wouldn’t have been a welcome addition to an already potent Yankees offense. Sports Illustrated’s Jack Markowski thinks the Yankees should not have moved on so quickly from Torres during the offseason, citing Vivas and Peraza’s poor play.
“Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza both provided nothing of substance in their respective auditions this season, and with Oswaldo Cabrera on the injured list after fracturing his ankle last month, the Yankees had no real choice but to move [Jazz] Chisholm back to third despite second base being his natural position.”
Torres already has a 1.5 WAR after posting a 1.8 WAR season in 154 games with the Yankees in 2024, when he helped them reach the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“The Tigers have followed up their magical run to the playoffs last year by jumping out to an incredible start this season with the league’s best record at 42-23,” Markowski wrote on Sunday. The Tigers are 43-24 as of Monday, June 9.
“Torres has played an instrumental role in their success, as he’s tied for the second-most fWAR of any qualified second baseman in the American League with 1.1 while hitting .263/.377/.392 in 223 trips to the plate.”
How Can the Yankees Improve Second Base Production?
Torres signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers, so he is an impending free agent. However, it appears the New York Yankees had no interest in bringing him back to play second base in 2025, so a trade seems unlikely.
“As LeMahieu’s struggles mount, however, the need for a quality second baseman with Chisholm at third has become increasingly clear, and the club may have let the perfect fit in Gleyber Torres walk away as a free agent this past offseason,” wrote Markowski.
Who might that “quality” second baseman be? The Yankees may have to turn their attention to teams clearly out of the postseason race who desire to strengthen their farm system for future seasons.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Adam Frazier is a free agent at season’s end. He hits for even less power than LeMahieu, but can play second base or the outfield for the Yankees. Although not a rebuilding team, a reunion with Jon Berti of the Chicago Cubs may be possible, depending on the Yankees’ interest after they non-tendered Berti this past November.
