Yankees keeping all options open in infield, including retaining free agent infielder

Yesterday at 04:49 PM

Brian Cashman addressed the media at the GM Meetings, and while he won’t play his hand as to where the Yankees truly want to go in the infield, he did mention a flurry of possibilities. When asked about Gleyber Torres and his defense, the long-time GM refused to “dissect what he’s good at and not as good at”, but also mentioned the various opportunities they have available to them in their infield. With Torres officially a free agent and not having the Qualifying Offer extended to him, he’s free to negotiate with other teams and will likely draw many suitors.

Despite his complimentary tone towards Torres, Cashman also mentioned that the team could look to add a second baseman or third baseman externally or internally to replace the veteran second baseman.

Yankees Could Go Down Multiple Paths To Fill Infield This Winter

Gleyber Torres went from an afterthought in the Yankees’ lineup to a vital piece in their offense, serving as the team’s leadoff batter down the stretch. He finished the year with a 104 wRC+ and had a 115 wRC+ in the postseason, but his patience and opposite-field approach down the stretch resulted in him being the perfect table setter in front of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.

Now, the Yankees will have the tough task of either replacing Torres or retaining him, and their refusal to extend him the Qualifying Offer would indicate that they aren’t desperate to have him back in pinstripes. While Brian Cashman kept the door open to a potential reunion and complimented what the 27-year-old did for the team down the stretch, he also mentioned potential avenues to fill out the position outside of retaining Torres.

Externally, the Yankees could go into the trade or free agent market for a second baseman, but Cashman also mentioned that the team could bring in a third baseman and move Jazz Chisholm over to second base.

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The speedy infielder hit 24 home runs with 40 steals this season, providing a spark to the Yankees’ lineup and playing well at third base despite it being his first professional action at the hot corner. At second base though, Chisholm has proven to be a truly elite defensive infielder, with +7 Defensive Runs Saved and +8 Outs Above Average across 1,330.1 innings played there in his career.

Miami moved him to the outfield to accommodate Luis Arraez, who has since been traded to the San Diego Padres where he primarily plays first base. Alex Bregman is the premier third baseman on the free-agent market, but it’s hard to envision the Yankees acquiring another nine-figure player if they were to retain Juan Soto as well. Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies posted a 115 wRC+ with above-average defense at 3B last season and could be on the trade block.

Another possibility for the Yankees is to look within, with Brian Cashman mentioning the excellent performance that infield prospect Caleb Durbin has had in the Arizona Fall League.

Across 19 games in the AFL, Durbin has slashed .288/.400/.521 with as many strikeouts as home runs (4) in that sample size. He socked 10 home runs in 90 MiLB games this season, a career-high for him, and he could be in the mix for an infield spot in 2025. Caleb Durbin has excellent bat-to-ball skills with elite speed, stealing 31 bases this year while stealing 22 during the Fall League campaign.

He sits just three steals away from breaking the single-season record in the AFL and this is a year removed from finishing with the second-most ever. The Yankees believe he’s an above-average defender in the infield as well, as he’s shown the ability to hold his own at shortstop, third base, and second base. If the Yankees were to promote him, second base would be the position he profiles best for.

Gleyber Torres could also return to the Yankees depending on his pricetag and the Yankees’ needs, but the team has never seemed particularly interested in a long-term union with him. They tried to trade him in 2022 and refused to extend him after the 2023 season, so perhaps the Yankees are preparing to move on this winter.