Yankees $45 Million Two-Time All-Star Loosely Linked To Red Sox: 'Great Pickup'

A uniform chance no one would have seen coming...

Oct 29, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) reacts after hitting a three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning during game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Second base was easily the biggest hole for the Boston Red Sox in 2024. How will things be different in 2025?

Vaughn Grissom, who was acquired in the Chris Sale trade, was supposed to lock down the position, but his entire season was derailed by injuries from the jump, and he couldn't find his footing in the limited time he got in the majors. Those who stepped in weren't much better.

Enmanuel Valdez got the Opening Day start, and David Hamilton surprisingly wound up playing the most games at the position. All in all, the Red Sox used nine players at the position last season, which included cameos from starting catcher Connor Wong and recently-traded minor leaguer Mickey Gasper.

Grissom should be back in the mix, and top prospect Kristian Campbell could be pushing for playing time at the position as well. But is there still a shot the Red Sox feel uncomfortable enough with their in-house options to take a swing in free agency?

On Thursday, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report named New York Yankees two-time All-Star Gleyber Torres as a free agent to watch for the Red Sox, who he claimed still have plenty of work to do if they want to make it to the playoffs in 2025.

"As far as the bats go, second base is a huge question mark for the Red Sox, and pretty much all of their depth elsewhere is in the form of highly touted prospects who have yet to play in the majors," Miller said.

"It would take some getting used to after he spent the past seven years with the Yankees, but Gleyber Torres could be a great pickup for a Boston team that should have a fair amount of money left in its budget."

Torres, 27, is coming off a mediocre season that picked up once manager Aaron Boone moved him to the leadoff spot. He had a .709 OPS/101 OPS+, but he has had three very good seasons, most recently in 2023, when he hit 25 home runs and finished with a 118 OPS+.

Where Torres has struggled of late is on defense, and that's a flaw the Red Sox really can't afford to take on. They've had one of the worst defensive infields in baseball for three years running, and adding another glove with -4 outs above average in 2024 doesn't seem like the answer.

If Boston doesn't feel as good about Grissom or Campbell as previously thought, perhaps there's a world where they take a shot at Torres, who is projected for a three-year, $45 million contract (The Athletic). But Miller might see a fit that doesn't exist in reality.

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