New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres said he is not looking at social media anymore because the last time he did he saw trade rumors, according to Marly Rivera of ESPN.
Torres dealt with trade rumors during the 2022 season, leading up to the MLB trade deadline and went through a slump right after. He was specifically rumored to be in a deal for Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez that did not end up happening. Pablo Lopez was traded to the Minnesota Twins this offseason.
Much of the speculation surrounding Gleyber Torres' future with the Yankees is fueled by infield prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe. Both of those prospects are said to be part of the shortstop position battle with Isiah Kiner-Falefa this spring. Oswald Peraza is likely the favorite for the job, and when Anthony Volpe comes up that could force the Yankees to move Torres.
Volpe is the Yankees number one prospect, while Peraza is third, but Peraza is viewed by many as the stronger defensive shortstop while Volpe could slide to second base.
The Yankees have a logjam in the infield. DJ LeMahieu is still on the roster. He can play first, second or third base, but his strongest position is second base. The Yankees tried to make it work with Torres at shortstop in 2021, but he did not succeed, and had better season as a full-time second baseman in 2022.
Third baseman Josh Donaldson is also on the roster as well and owed $23 million. If he performs well the Yankees could be incentivized to keep him in the lineup, and if DJ LeMahieu is playing like he did before injury in 2022, he could play over Torres at second base.
In short, the Yankees have a lot of shuffling pieces in the infield, old and young. The Yankees will have to make a decision on Torres' future at some point in the near future. His contract runs through 2024, and he told Rivera that he wishes the team would reach out about an extension. However, that has not happened, and no one knows if it ever will.
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