Gleyber Torres has an uncertain future with the New York Yankees even after having an excellent 2023 season, as Brian Cashman told the media that he has yet to hold extension talks with the talented infielder. The Yankees have dangled the infielder in trade talks before, but nothing has met the team’s asking price, and it’s left the two sides in an awkward position. On one hand, Gleyber Torres has made it clear that he would love to play for the Yankees long-term, but the financial commitments the team has made on top of commitments on the horizon complicate a potential extension.
In just a few months, Juan Soto will hit free agency and receive an incredible sum of money, with the hope being that the New York Yankees are the ones fitting that bill. It’ll be an interesting storyline to follow all season, but it seems that Torres will play in 2024 without a long-term commitment from the Yankees.
Gleyber Torres Unlikely To Be Extended By Yankees Ahead of 2024
The New York Yankees were a disaster in 2023, as injuries tore them apart and it resulted in their worst winning percentage since 1992. Gleyber Torres was one of the few players on the team to take a step forward this past season, clubbing 25 home runs with a 123 wRC+ and 3.2 fWAR across 158 games. He was reliable, durable, and well-balanced in all areas of his offensive skill set. The biggest progression he made was cutting his strikeout rate from 22.6% in 2022 to 14.6% in 2023, the lowest mark of his career.
Despite the success, Brian Cashman made it clear that the two sides have not had conversations about an extension, and while his performance over the past two seasons has been impressive, this isn’t entirely surprising. As mentioned earlier, the Yankees have an extremely bloated payroll, but they also have some infield talent in their farm system that could emerge in 2024, so they’ll see if any replacements rise to the occasion and can be trusted to take over at second base going forward.
Jorbit Vivas was acquired in the trade that sent Trey Sweeney to the Los Angeles Dodgers and also brought Victor Gonzalez to the Bronx, and he could provide a left-handed infield option for the Yankees. Oswald Peraza has always been rumored to be the replacement for Gleyber Torres, but he hasn’t hit enough at the Major League level and the team hasn’t been overly enthusiastic to give him opportunities in the starting lineup. Caleb Durbin, who they acquired from the Atlanta Braves last offseason, is another infield option who has emerged and could be ready by 2025.
It’s risky business relying on rookies to supplement your lineup, but the team will have to survey all of their options before making a long-term financial commitment. The impending free agency of Juan Soto is certainly influencing their spending habits as well, as they know he’s a player they want to keep long-term. He’s one of the best players on the planet and can anchor the emerging core of prospects on the horizon.
Gleyber Torres can play himself into a big contract next winter, but it’s unclear whether that will come from the Yankees or not at this point.