Yankees should consider buying out Gleyber Torres’ arbitration years

Gleyber Torres

Just because the Yankees offer it, doesn’t mean Torres has to accept it. The pros and cons of taking an offer like that are obvious.

Sign the dotted line and you’re guaranteed $120 million. No need to worry about injury, drop off in performance or anything else. Also, he’d pull in $12-$13 million next year rather than $700K.

If he signs, there’s always the chance that he stays healthy, continues on his trajectory and is sitting there as a top-10 player in baseball, while worse players make more money. But then of age.

Other Yankees

If Cashman pounces and extends Torres, would it decrease the odds that Didi stays? Would longer-tenured players such as Judge and Sanchez be miffed that Torres was extended before them?

Does it affect Cashman’s ability to bolster the rotation? Could they use that money to instead bring back cheaper veterans such as Gardner, Cameron Maybin or Romine?

Verdict

As made clear, I believe that the Yankees should do everything in their power to extend Torres. I do not believe that they will, as of yet, be able to come to an agreement. If Torres keeps improving and ascends deeper into stardom, the odds are good that something will happen after the 2020 season. But as for this year? I’d lean 65-35 towards a “not yet”.

I hope that, in this case, I’m as wrong as I was in July of 2016.