To start the 2024 season, the New York Yankees have not seen the kind of offensive production from second baseman Gleyber Torres that they might have hoped for after he signed a one-year, $14.2 million contract to avoid arbitration.
Despite the cold start, though, Torres is projected to receive significant interest if he hits free agency as expected at the end of the season, and the Yankees could face some tough competition if they hope to bring him back.
“Torres has never quite matched the 38-homer season he put together as a 22-year-old in 2019, but he has developed into a terrific all-around second baseman,” Joel Reuter wrote for Bleacher Report, ranking Torres in the top-10 of the projected 2023-24 free agent class. “He posted a 118 OPS+ with 25 home runs, 13 steals and 2.9 WAR in 158 games last season, and his age makes him an attractive candidate for a long-term deal.”
Gleyber Torres Says Free Agency Isn’t Affecting His Cold Start for the New York Yankees
In his seven-year MLB career, the 27-year-old Torres has put together a body of work that could earn him a big contract for next season and beyond. He has a career slash line of .264/.333/.447 and two All-Star selections from 2018 and 2019.
But his offers might not be as significant if he can’t turn around an offensive slump thus far in 2024 as he’s hitting just .186/.290/.209 in 86 at bats. Torres recently told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic that the potential to hit himself into or out of a major contract has not been weighing on him during the cold start.
“Every year you have to do better and better,” Torres said. “My free-agent year is the same way. I can just control what I can control right now. I can just play well. At the end of the season, let’s see what happens. For now, I’m really just focusing on doing the right thing for myself and also the team.”
The New York Yankees Might Not Have Enough Payroll to Re-Sign Gleyber Torres
There are any number of teams that could use an upgrade at second base and might be willing to make a long-term commitment to a relatively young player like Torres. It’s far from certain that his future home will be in New York, even if that’s his preference.
“Torres has made it clear he prefers to spend the rest of his career in pinstripes, but he said the team never had a conversation with him this offseason about a contract extension,” Kirschner added. “Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was non-committal in March when asked about Torres’ future with the club.”
The Yankees might not have the available payroll to strike a long-term deal with Torres, particularly if he emerges as a top-10 free agent as projected. They already have at least $32 million committed to Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge for 2025 and might need all of the flexibility they can get for their primary targets.
“One thing that could work against Torres and his long-term future with the Yankees is the timing of his free agency,” Kirschner noted previously for The Athletic. “The Yankees’ No. 1 priority next offseason is re-signing (Juan) Soto to an extension that covers the rest of his career.”
