New York Yankees: One blockbuster Gleyber Torres trade

New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres

The New York Yankees are World Series contenders every season but never seem to be able to reach the end goal. Due to a lack of starting pitching or weakness in the bullpen, the Yankees always find a way to lose games in the postseason and solidify an early exit.

However, management is fully behind the team, especially when it comes to investing monetarily in players. Whether it be Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, or the retention of DJ LeMahieu, the Yankees have plenty invested in their team to be at the top of the MLB in record and success.

While pitching remains an issue, especially with three starters hitting free agency this year, general manager Brian Cashman has stated that he will evaluate multiple positions this off-season. During hot stove talks on the YES Network, the conversation on Gleyber Torres, star infielder, was rather bleak. Torres was sufficient at second base in the last, but the Yankees view him as a long-term solution at shortstop, despite his inefficient 2020 campaign.

He finished the season with a .243 batting average, three homers, and 16 RBIs, all of which were extremely disappointing considering his success in 2019. Defensively, he spent 40 games at shortstop, finishing with a .933 fielding percentage and nine errors. He was considered below average at the position, and while Torres was out of shape this past season, according to Brian Cashman, they still consider him a focal point.

“(Torres) wasn’t in the best shape to start the second spring training,” Cashman said while on “Yankees Hot Stove” on the YES Network on Thursday night. “On his return from the shutdown, we spent a little bit … first half of the season playing catchup, maybe in the first 40 or 45 games of the season playing catchup. Once we got him back online and in shape, we saw, towards the last 20 games including the playoffs, the Gleyber Torres we’re used to seeing.”

Cashman did acknowledge that second base is better for him than shortstop, which opens up the possibility of a blockbuster trade with a team like the Cleveland Indians that could benefit both sides.

What type of value do the New York Yankees have with Gleyber?

Torres is under team control until 2025 and is arbitration-eligible in 2022, making him extremely valuable as a 23-year-old player. Nonetheless, the Yankees have been intrigued by Francisco Lindor for quite some time. While he is set to hit free agency in 2022, the idea of putting him in at shortstop and extending him long-term could be an alternative solution.

If the Yankees struck a deal with the Indians to send Torres to Cleveland and acquired Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, who finished the 2020 season with a 2.91 ERA over 68 innings, they could be gaining exponential value.

Lindor is the best shortstop in baseball and represents an elite hitter, far superior to Torres. Carrasco is a solid pitcher who is returning from a battle with leukemia, proving this past year he’s capable of being a reliable starter.

The Yankees desperately need more starting pitching, and he is earning just over $10 million per season, far less than $23 million they paid Masahiro Tanaka this past season with less production.

Carrasco is a bit of a risk but has high ground ball rates and lofty strikeouts per nine. He is a very suitable pitcher for Yankee Stadium, and adding Lindor in the deal would only increase the value of the deal.

Considering the Indians are aggressively shopping Lindor and looking for a younger talent who can start right away, this could be a perfect fit for the Yankees who love Torres but also recognize his weaknesses.