Gleyber Torres, the promising infielder for the New York Yankees, is about to enter a critical phase of his career. The Yankees have to choose whether to re-sign the 27-year-old or allow him to depart as his free agency approaches.
For the Yankees, Torres has been a largely reliable player. But according to Baseball Savant, he’s actually been productive offensively this season with a slash line of.230/.304/.640. Defensively, though, it’s been out of character for him as of June 9th, leading MLB with nine errors among second basemen. His importance is increased by his ability to play several infield positions.
As he approaches free agency and has an expiring deal this season, the Yankees need to think about their long-term financial plan. Torres’s agent has other large contracts already in place, so it’s not an easy option to re-sign him. The Athletic reports that the Yankees are carefully considering their alternatives.
The depth of the Yankees’ infield now makes Torres’ future more difficult.
The infield depth of the Yankees is impressive. Oswald Peraza, Anthony Volpe, and Oswaldo Cabrera can all play a variety of parts. The Yankees will have more leeway in their decision-making process with Torres because of this depth.
In order to strengthen their roster, the Yankees have also been looking at possible trades and free-agent signings. If they choose not to re-sign Torres, this also contains potential Torres successors. The Yankees are actively searching the market for infield talent, as reported by ESPN.
The effects of Torres’ resigning financially
Torres’s re-signal would cost a substantial sum of money. The Yankees have to weigh this against other requirements, like depth in the outfield and pitching. One of the biggest payrolls in MLB already exists for this franchise. Further big contracts could reduce their options in upcoming campaigns.
But allowing Torres to walk could possibly have consequences. His exit would leave a void in the lineup and might make the infield defense more vulnerable. The Yankees would have to sign a worthy successor via free agency or internally.
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