The New York Yankees made several roster additions this winter in hopes of rebounding from a disappointing 82-80 campaign in 2023.
Looking ahead to next winter, they’ll have to drop a lot of money to retain outfielder Juan Soto on a long-term deal. But what about infielder Gleyber Torres?
He’s also slated to become a free agent in November and will be making $14.2 million in 2024 while donning the pinstripes, per Spotrac.
As part of a series of articles at The Athletic, Tim Britton shared contract projections for a handful of players set to hit free agency at season’s end. He made sure to note that this was “an exercise in player valuation, not commentary on the likelihood of an extension being signed.”
Regarding Torres, his extension projection came in at four years and $68 million. According to Spotrac’s market value calculation, that’d be a $60 million discount. With an annual market value of $18.3 million, they’re projecting a seven-year, $128 million deal.
→ Swipe to see more articles
Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres wants to stay in the Bronx for his entire career. Would he take a hometown discount to make it happen?
Torres Is Hoping to Be a Yankee for Life
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic caught up with Torres at New York’s spring training complex in Tampa, Florida on March 5. When asked about his upcoming contract status, the second baseman was adamant about wanting to remain in the Bronx for the rest of his career.
“I always say, I feel (at) home right now,” Torres said. He continued by saying, “I know this organization since 2016. I feel good. I know everybody. As a player, you never want to leave your house. I’m in a good spot. I want to be a Yankee for life. That’s one of my goals. Let’s see what happens.”
Torres landed with the Yankees at the 2016 trade deadline. New York sent Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs and received four players in return. In addition to Torres, the Yankees also netted Adam Warren, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford.
The 27-year-old made his MLB debut in 2018, and his first two big-league seasons were quite good. He was selected to the All-Star Game on both occasions and put up big numbers. Torres posted a .820 OPS with 24 home runs and 77 RBI as a rookie. He followed that up with a .871 OPS, 38 homers and 90 RBI in 2019.
Torres didn’t finish another year with an OPS of .800 or higher until 2023. That number finished exactly at .800 to go along with 25 homers, 28 doubles, 68 RBI and 90 runs scored. He also threw in 13 steals, his third straight season with at least 10 thefts.
Brian Cashman Doesn’t Sound as Sure About That
While Torres has been clear about his desire to stay with the Yankees for the long haul, general manager Brian Cashman is understandably keeping things close to the vest.
He addressed Torres’ contract situation on February 16. “He’s our second baseman for this year,” Cashman said, via WFAN. “Haven’t had any conversations about anything past that.”
With Opening Day fast approaching, a preseason extension seems unlikely to happen. But could something come together during the regular season? “Who knows? I don’t know,” Cashman said about that possibility. “As of right now there hasn’t been any discussions on that.”
A lot can change in the coming months. However, it certainly seems as if Torres will find himself on the open market next winter while still hoping to re-sign with the Yankees.
Matt Musico covers Major League Baseball for Heavy.com and has been writing about baseball for the past decade. He’s the creator of MLB Daily Dingers, and his work has been featured on numberFire, MLB Trade Rumors, Bleacher Report, Elite Sports NY, and Yahoo! Sports. More about Matt Musico
