Career uncertainty must lead to postseason success for Gleyber Torres

Second baseman Gleyber Torres has played for the New York Yankees for the past seven seasons, experiencing varying levels of success and failure. Torres will deal with the uncertainties of free agency this offseason with the understanding that he is not the Yankees' top priority. Their undivided attention will be focused on re-signing outfielder Juan Soto to a long-term contract in a bidding war that could top $600 million. In what could be his final days wearing the venerable pinstripes, Torres will need to focus on achieving postseason success while increasing his value as an impending free agent. A farewell to the Bronx after experiencing World Series glory will ensure that Torres will be revered for a lifetime by fans who want to remember Torres as a key contributor to a championship-winning ballclub.

Last season, the value of Major League Baseball's qualifying offer for a one-year contract was $20.325 million, based on the average salary of the sport's 125 highest-paid ballplayers. Given the salary increase, don't be surprised if the new contract value of the qualifying offer is $21 million for the 2024 season. If Soto hasn't already agreed to a contract extension, expect him to be the only impending Yankees free agent to receive a qualifying offer and quickly decline. He should receive a qualifying offer within five days of the conclusion of the World Series. If Soto leaves via free agency after receiving and rejecting a qualifying offer, the Yankees will receive compensation after the fourth round in the form of a 2025 draft pick as they are expected under the collective bargaining agreement to receive Competitive Balance Tax pay.

The temptation to accept a one-year deal potentially worth $21 million would be for Torres given another mediocre season in which he made $14.2 million, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts, in his final year of arbitration eligibility -dollars earned, far too large. Based on data collected with FanGraphs, Torres is a defensive liability and has regressed since showing signs of improvement during the 2022 season. There were 13 second basemen who pitched at least 1,000 innings at the position last season. In terms of defensive runs saved (DRS), Torres recorded a DRS of -11. Only Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros fared worse in this statistical category among the 13 second basemen, with a DRS of -13.

Torres' defensive deficiencies during his age-27 season were also evident in his Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) stats. His UZR of -6.7 was the worst among Baker's dozen second basemen, according to FanGraphs. In 5,313.1 innings at second base during his major league career, Torres posted a DRS of -14 and a UZR of -16.7. In the 2018-2024 seasons, there were only seven second basemen who played more than 5,000 innings at the position, and Torres has the worst UZR among ballplayers. His 62 errors are the most at the position in the last seven seasons.

The Yankees' midseason acquisition of Jazz Chisholm, Jr. from the Miami Marlins gains significance not only for his versatility, but also as a ballplayer, hitting .625 in his first year of arbitration eligibility, according to Cot's Baseball contracts earned millions of dollars on a one-year contract. Defensive positioning has been a point of criticism for the Yankees, as it is most evident at second base. Based on defensive metrics of DRS and UZR, Chisholm Jr.'s best position is second base, thanks to a DRS of 7 and -2.2 UZR over 1,330.1 innings per FanGraphs. Out of necessity, the Yankees have experimented with Chisholm Jr. at third base, where he has posted a DRS of -2 and a UZR of -0.4 over 400.1 innings. Torres becomes expendable this offseason with Chisholm Jr. being arbitration-eligible for two seasons and improved defense at second base.

Defensive problems, mental misjudgments and occasional lack of effort have angered fans and management alike during Torres' tenure in the Bronx. However, there always seems to be some redeeming quality that saves Torres from the barrage of criticism. Whether it's the potential to be a difference-maker in a key situation or the first glimpses of a two-time American League All-Star before his age-23 season, Torres is more of an enigma than a stalwart at a crucial time in his career.

Torres showed his value during the regular season by batting first in the lineup. In 56 games of batting first for the Yankees, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge hit right behind Torres 54 times. Overall, Torres posted an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .755 while batting first in the lineup, helping the Yankees to a 34-22 record. According to Baseball-Reference, the major league OPS average in the 2024 regular season was a .739 OPS when first batting in the lineup.

There's an argument to be made that Torres may have plateaued as a ballplayer as the Yankees look to maintain stricter financial policies, aside from their pursuit of Soto. They will fight the urge to overpay based on emotions and use utility ballplayer DJ LeMahieu's six-year, $90 million contract as a cautionary tale for Torres' upcoming free agency. When LeMahieu re-signed with the Yankees in January 2021, he had just won his second batting title and finished third in the American League's Most Valuable Player Award, recognizing achievements during his age-31 season. Unfortunately, LeMahieu has struggled with injuries and a precipitous decline in performance while still being owed $30 million over the next two seasons, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.

Gleyber Torres' value to the New York Yankees this postseason begins with him being an offensive catalyst at the top of the lineup while minimizing mental errors and defensive mistakes at second base. By showing patience in the batter's box and creating chaos on the base paths, Torres increases a pitcher's stress level with the looming presence of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge behind him. Based on performance and desired compensation, it is unlikely that Torres will return to the Yankees next season. However, Torres can secure a heroic legacy with one final postseason in pinstripes full of moments of brilliance leading to World Cup glory.