Yankees' free agent reunion with Gleyber Torres isn't as crazy as you'd think (but shouldn't happen)

Once upon a time, second baseman Gleyber Torres was the next young budding star for the New York Yankees. Torres began his MLB career with back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2018 and 2019, but followed these two campaigns up with inconsistency for the remainder of his Yankee years.

Torres' final season with the Yankees came in 2024, where he got off to a brutal start, but finished strong to help the team reach the World Series. Even still, the Yankees let Torres walk to the Detroit Tigers in free agency, thus ending his tenure in the Bronx.

Torres, who turns 30 in December, will be a free agent for the third consecutive offseason this winter, and a reunion with the Yankees wouldn't be the craziest occurrence in the world. So, let's dive into why it's not that insane of an idea, but also why it shouldn't happen.

Why a Yankees reunion with Torres isn't that crazy

The Yankees will likely let starting second baseman Jazz Chisholm jr. walk in free agency after a rough year at the plate. Unless the Yankees want to hand the reins over to Anthony Volpe, they could bring in a short-term stopgap option at the position, which is where Torres would come in.

While playing on the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, Torres was limited to just 96 games with the Tigers this past season due to a left oblique strain. However, he still managed to slash .260/.364/.363 with a .727 OPS, 105 OPS+, eight home runs, 38 RBI and a 2.0 bWAR. In his first season with the Tigers in 2025, Torres was an All-Star and hit .256/.358/.387 with a .745 OPS, 110 OPS+, 16 homers, 74 RBI and a 3.0 bWAR in 145 games.

The familiarity, plus Torres' combined 5.0 bWAR across the past two seasons, are why a Yankees reunion on a short-term deal isn't as crazy as you'd think. The Yankees might want a veteran option at the position who has produced strong seasons in the past over the unproven Volpe.

Why they shouldn't bring back Torres

For Torres and the Yankees, it's been there, done that. While Torres' bat could help the Yankees' offense theoretically, it's difficult to know which version of Torres they would be getting if they were to re-sign him.

After his first two years with the team, Torres only had two more seasons where he posted a bWAR above 2.0. He spent seven seasons in pinstripes, but three of these campaigns were pretty poor overall. He also lacks versatility and refused to move to third base after the Yankees acquired Chisholm Jr. at the 2024 trade deadline.

For all of these reasons, the Yankees would be better off staying away from their old friend Torres. They should either give the second base job to Volpe or try to look for an upgrade via trade or free agency. Going back to Torres shouldn't happen, despite it not being the craziest idea in the world.

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