Coming into the 2023 season, all eyes for the New York Yankees were on outfielder Juan Soto. They made a blockbuster trade to acquire him from the San Diego Padres before the season began, putting them on the clock immediately.
There was some risk in acquiring Soto, as he is going to be a free agent after the 2024 season. As a Scott Boras client, it is a near certainty that he will be hitting the open market in search of the most lucrative deal.
Given how well he is playing this season, the New York Yankees are going to have to pony up a massive contract. Several teams will be in the running to sign him, as 26-year-old superstars rarely hit free agency.
Alas, Soto isn’t the only key New York Yankees playing hitting free agency after the season. Joining him is second baseman Gleyber Torres. Torres, who made his debut in pinstripes during the 2018 season, was a highly regarded prospect with the Chicago Cubs who was acquired in the Aroldis Chapman blockbuster back in 2016.
He has certainly had his moments with the team, as he was an All-Star in his first two seasons in the big leagues. However, Torres has been unable to reach that level since, which has clouded his future with the franchise.
In the opinion of Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Torres won’t be with the New York Yankees for much longer. Answering questions in a recent mailbag piece, Kuty revealed a bold prediction that the team will not make much of an effort to retain Torres this offseason.
“The numbers going into Wednesday (.214 average, two homers, 10 RBIs, .569 OPS) were atrocious…The guess here is that Torres isn’t in pinstripes beyond this season,” wrote Kuty.
It is certainly hard to argue against that. Torres is not hitting much this season and Kuty believes if this level of production continues, he won’t be in the starting lineup by the time the summer rolls around.
Things could certainly get difficult for Torres once DJ LeMahieu returns from the injured list. Capable of playing all over the infield, the New York Yankees could opt to get him regular at-bats once he is up to speed, should he play well, cutting into the playing time of Torres.
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