The New York Yankees are coming off an extremely disappointing 2023 season, finishing 82–80. Having a record above .500 is simply not good enough, as owner Hal Steinbrenner said several weeks ago. In fact, missing the playoffs altogether is a significant concern, given the team spent over $280 million to field a lackluster roster last season.
Fortunately, it seems as if general manager Brian Cashman is keen on being aggressive this off-season, having already been linked to Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
While the rumors are running rampant, Cashman has a no-trade list — players whom he likely refuses to move in a prospective deal. However, that list is expected to be rather short based on his comments at the Winter Meetings.
San Diego has asked for an astronomical return, but Cashman has ignored the initial price tag and continues negotiating at a reasonable cost.
In fact, when reporters asked Cashman if Gleyber Torres would be made available this off-season, he had an interesting comment.
“After the season we went through, I’d say there would be very few untouchables”
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The Yankees Don’t Want to Trade Gleyber But They Would
Just like Soto, Torres is entering the final year of arbitration before he becomes a free agent in 2025. Cashman did indicate that he had the second base position locked up, as the 26-year-old is coming off a fantastic 2023 season. Aside from Aaron Judge, Torres was one of the team’s best offensive performers, hitting .273/.347/.453. He also contributed 25 homers, 68 RBIs, and a 123 wRC+. While his defense was a bit spotty at times, and he made a few mistakes running the bases, Torres is an above-average player who is more of an asset than a liability.
However, if there are “untouchables” on the roster, the Yankees are likely willing to trade anyone for the right price. We can assume that Anthony Volpe and Jasson Dominguez are the youngsters whom the Yankees would prefer to keep; even Austin Wells may be included in that mix. They will have to give up substantial value for Soto, likely MLB-ready pitching, and several prospects.
Ideally, they could hang onto Michael King and leverage Clarke Schmidt, but for one year of Soto, before he lands a behemoth contract extension, it is difficult to say what the Padres will be willing to accept. One thing is for sure, the Yankees have all the leverage.