Despite giving Gleyber Torres plenty of opportunities to lock down the shortstop position, the New York Yankees have finally come to the conclusion that he can no longer be their long-term option. Torres, who started out as a second baseman and transitioned to shortstop, has struggled mightily this year, posting a .962 fielding percentage. With a league average .982 percentage at SS, the 24-year-old infielder will head back to second base, shifting DJ LeMahieu to third base and Gio Urshela to SS.
With that being the case, the Yankees are preparing for the likelihood they will be active in the free-agent market, trying to fill the spot. There will be multiple big names available, including Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Javier Baez, and Trevor Story. These are four options that would immediately upgrade the spot, providing solid defense and adequate offensive production.
Lately, Correa has been linked as a potential option for the Bombers, and considering the season he’s having, he would be a phenomenal addition. Over 137 games this year, Correa has 24 homers, 85 RBIs, and is hitting .280. Correa could avoid the Yankees given their complicated history, but there is an alternate route the Bombers could take that would avoid paying big money to another free agent.
With Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton both on $300+ million contracts, general manager Brian Cashman might not have the authorization to hand out another behemoth deal. In that scenario, they could look to star prospect Anthony Volpe, who’s having a fantastic season with the A+ Hudson Valley Renegades.
Waiting for him to be ready could be a necessity, as he’s currently hitting .286 with 15 homers and 37 RBIs over 20 games. He’s absolutely destroying offensively, turning into a legitimate slugger.
If the Yankees are willing to fill the SS spot in the short term while they wait for him to reach the MLB level, it could be a positive move. They could cement Urshela at the position and LeMahieu at third base, which would cover them defensively. That would indicate an extension for Anthony Rizzo at first base and Torres taking over the second base spot full-time. Eventually, they can move Gio back to the hot corner, LeMahieu to first base, and Volpe at shortstop.
Nonetheless, management has a difficult decision to make at one of the most critical positions in the infield, but knowing the Yankees, they will be looking to splash the cash before they wait for a prospect.