Yankees: Gleyber Torres doesn’t sound happy with Cashman’s fitness comments

Everyone who watched the New York Yankees in 2020 could tell that Gleyber Torres wasn’t right.

But, as we learned on Friday, if you work for the New York Yankees — or, say, are in charge of them — you might want to keep that to yourself. Or drop it as a motivational nugget. Either way.

Earlier this week, Brian Cashman spoke about Torres’ iffy ’20 campaign, ahead of a huge season for the shortstop, his first full 162-gamer with the expectations of handling that position attached.

Cashman insinuated Torres wasn’t in perfect shape the last time he reported to the club for Summer Camp by accentuating the positive and pointing out how his arrival this spring was a 180-degree difference from his last appearance.

That appears to have not sat super well with Torres himself.

The 24-year-old took to the podium to “comment” on Cashman’s take Friday, and didn’t say much at all.

Yankees SS Gleyber Torres hasn’t spoken to Brian Cashman about his fitness.

If Cashman opened up in an attempt to stick the comment in Torres’ craw as a motivational tool, then it appears to have worked. This is basically Negging for Starting Infielders.

That being said, he’d better come prepared for action this time around, as he’s entering the most pivotal season of his career. If the team doesn’t see tangible progress from Torres defensively, as well as a return to form with the bat, the Trevor Story buzz will grow even louder.

Factor in the changing of the baseball from his 38-homer peak in 2019, and Torres will truly have to control all his controllables.

And — this is going to stun you — we also have a comprehensive update on where the Yankees’ extension talks stand with Torres.

They stand…pretty close to the starting line.

Nobody talks extension with these Yankees. That’s simply not how they do things anymore.

Wouldn’t want an accidental high-dollar Gary Sanchez extension mixed in, now, would you?

Only Torres knows whether he put in enough effort into mastering his craft during the COVID-19 shutdown — and if he didn’t, that’s extremely forgivable! None of us really knew how to handle it either!

But this season will be a pivotal one for him, and we’re excited for the war of words to end and for the bat and glove to do the talking.

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