Gleyber Torres disrespect on MLB Network won't help build his trade value for Yankees

Ok, ok, we're all adults here, right? We can agree that "disrespect" on a 10-man list of the best players at any given position isn't a big deal. If it fuels a player, it fuels a player, but differing opinions exist, and they don't diminish anyone's shine. There's no way to put together a 10-player sample, dictated by any metric, that results in a perfect grouping that appeases everyone.

Alright. Settled. That said ... how on earth is Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres off MLB Network's list of the top 10 second basemen right now, replaced by rookie Edouard Julien and one-third of a Zack Gelof season?

Where is Ozzie Albies?! Less noteworthy from a Yankee fan perspective, but still ... where is the man?!

Is this really a reflection of the baseball consensus on Torres entering his walk year, when the Yankees have to at least be considering dangling him in a pitching trade? Is this really how far he's fallen after a borderline All-Star season, his best offensive output since 2019? He hit 25 homers, batted .273 and posted a 118 OPS+! What did Zack Gelof's 69 big-league games do to knock him off the pedestal?

Yankees' Gleyber Torres embarrassingly left off MLB Network's Top Second Basemen list

What happened here? Is this an exit velocity-based list? Is xwOBA a dirty word around these parts? Both Gelof and Julien have significant potential, but right now ... are they more likely to make an All-Star team than Torres (leaving out the "A's" of it all)? Isn't that what this group is all about?

The Yankees shouldn't actively shop Torres prior to the 2024 season. There's no reason for them to diminish the punch possibilities of their lineup in a must-win year, a campaign dedicated to both beefing up their offensive numbers and making a case to Juan Soto that he should want to stay in the Bronx long-term. We know Brian Cashman likes to win trades, but if he's going to deal Torres ahead of his walk year for pitching, he'd better be really sure that he's coming home with a victory.

Maybe he should call Oakland about a Torres-for-Gelof swap? After all, MLB Network seems to believe that'd be a shoo-in win. Hopefully, the majority of the league has a higher opinion of Torres' skills, which looked pretty refined to the rest of us in a bounce-back 2023.