Yankees losing infield depth option to Red Sox raises more of the same questions

Over the weekend, the Red Sox were force to plumb the depths of their minor-league system in the wake of Triston Casas' horrific injury, a moment we would not wish on our worst enemy. In a snap decision, they added Abraham Toro to the roster, who apparently had a sliding doors moment involving the Yankees this offseason.

Toro, the fundamentally sound agitator who can play second and third comfortably, as well as first base on occasion, spent 2019 through parts of 2021 with the Houston Astros before bouncing between Seattle, Milwaukee and Oakland prior to this season.

Perhaps he still harbors some lingering resentment towards the Yankees from his Astros days, but according to Toro himself, New York was interested in pursuing him this offseason as they looked to flesh out their infield on the cheap. We know they eyed Jorge Polanco and Brendan Rodgers to varying degrees, but landed neither. You can formally add Toro to that list.

In fact, the newly minted Red Sox purportedly only had two offers: one from the Yankees, and one from Boston. We know which one he chose. And we'd love to know why.

Yankees lost infield option (and Triston Casas fill-in) Abraham Toro to the Boston Red Sox

And now, we ask the question on everybody's lips ... wanna trade him for Dom Smith? Come on, Boston! You know that makes more sense for everyone!

Is employing Abraham Toro my dream? No. No, it is not. Would I rather have Toro's 0.6 bWAR/87 OPS+ from 2024 on the Yankees' active roster than some of their current options, as the depth chart crumbles from all corners? Yes!

So, why did Toro pick Boston's minor-league contract? Did they pledge more playing time? If so, the Yankees did a poor job articulating their argument; there was likely an Opening Day opportunity to be seized for Toro, given Pablo Reyes' role on the roster and the impending vacancy at third base. Did he just prefer the Red Sox culture, even at Worcester, pre-facial hair policy reversal? It's plausible! And it remains an ongoing battle the Yankees seem to be fighting during their recruiting process. The direct dichotomy of, "I have two offers, one's probably more likely to give him a chance, and yet ... I'm still going to pick the fun guys at Fenway" speaks volumes.

The opportunity was very much there in the Bronx for any fringe infielder this offseason. It wasn't tough to envision. We know the Yankees were operating with a limited budget, so they likely got outbid on plenty of big-league-caliber talent. But losing out on minor-league deals, like the ones signed by both Rodgers and Toro? We have questions. We've always had questions.