Did MLB insider just hint Yankees could trade Gleyber Torres before Opening Day?

Still wondering what the New York Yankees infield is going to look like on Opening Day? Who's the starting shortstop? Will Josh Donaldson be banished? What's the deal with DJ LeMahieu? Are we sure Gleyber Torres is here even after the Yanks avoided arbitration with him?

Well, if we're to believe MLB insider Jon Morosi, the apparent confidence surrounding LeMahieu's health could result in quite a few scenarios. But one stood out the most when Morosi spoke during Tuesday's short segment on MLB Network.

Morosi said he envisions LeMahieu splitting his time between second base and third base in 2023, which isn't exactly shocking, but it suggests Donaldson or Torres will be seeing some time on the bench ... or one of them might be gone. Given the non-existent trade market for Donaldson, is there still a world in which Torres is shipped out?

Hey, Morosi asked the question, not us! And he kind of snuck it in there, too. That's why he's a professional!

But, yeah, unless the Yankees are banking on injuries affecting their outlook, DJLM splitting time between second and third with both Donaldson and Torres still in the picture doesn't entirely make sense ... especially with Isiah Kiner-Falefa under contract as a $6 million utility infielder.

Could DJ LeMahieu's improved health lead to the Yankees trading Gleyber Torres?

Morosi is right: LeMahieu was a legitimate MVP candidate in 2019 and 2020. Juiced balls or not, the man was hitting to all fields and hitting for contact ferociously (a counterargument to the inflated power numbers). If he's not being held back whatsoever by injuries, then there's no reason he shouldn't be playing every day. And neither Donaldson nor Torres should stand in his way.

But as general manager Brian Cashman said, the Yankees aren't making trades if they're not receiving the appropriate value in return. Whether it's fair market value or delusional value is a conversation for another time, but we can safely assume the Yankees can't feel confident in any talks regarding Donaldson.

Torres, on the other hand, is a legitimate asset that could fetch the Yankees a formidable return. But what kind of return would that be? The Yankees need bullpen help and outfield help, and those positions are more expendable than second base.

The Yankees probably didn't trade Torres just yet because there was nothing of comparable value on the market over the last few months. Additionally, they were probably waiting to see if LeMahieu needed surgery before they drastically altered their infield picture.

Now that they have the answer to the second question, perhaps they let spring training unfold and see which teams might develop a need at second base. That could kickstart the market in their favor and they would have an easy solution to give LeMahieu an everyday job without any conflict.

Still, though, we'd much prefer Donaldson gone with LeMahieu taking over at third base and Torres remaining at second.