Yankees' All-Star Projected to Receive $52.5 Million; Should New York Bring Him Back?

The longtime Yankees' infielder was listed as the 20th best available free agent by ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel.

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

Three members of the 2024 New York Yankees were featured on ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel’s Top 50 MLB Free Agent Rankings released Tuesday. Each player received contract projections based on McDaniel’s analysis, as well as input from agents and executives across the league.

Appearing at No. 20 on the list was second baseman Gleyber Torres, whom the Yankees chose not to extend the $21.05 million qualifying offer to by Monday’s deadline. McDaniel suggested that Torres might have accepted the offer if it had been made, as he could have viewed it as an opportunity for a bounce-back season and a larger payday next winter.

Ultimately, McDaniel projected a three-year deal for Torres this offseason, totaling $52.5 million. This would allow the 28-year-old to re-enter free agency at age 31, still in his prime, while earning an average annual value of $17.5 million—not far from what he could have made with the qualifying offer.

“Given his age, underperforming his xwOBA (i.e., neutral luck gives him better numbers), and his much better second half (his strikeout rate decreased 5% and his power increased), followed by a strong postseason, it’s not hard to imagine teams seeing more upside,” McDaniel wrote.

However, for some teams, even a short-term deal with that high of an AAV could be seen as an overpay, considering Torres’ 2024 performance.

Torres finished the season with a -4.6 BsR, ranking as the sixth-worst baserunner in MLB. He also placed 31st among qualified second basemen in Outs Above Average defensively. His home run total dropped from 25 to 15, and his OPS fell from .800 to .709 in just one year.

“Torres was below league average as a baserunner, hitter, and defender in his traditional peak season at age 27 this year, so getting more than $50 million, if that kind of offer presents itself, would seem smart,” McDaniel explained.

That said, Torres did significantly improve his offensive production in the second half of the season. While he was far from the slugger he was during his second All-Star season in 2019, when he hit a career-high 38 home runs and posted an .871 OPS, Torres became more adept at staying patient from the leadoff spot, driving the ball to the opposite field and setting the stage for teammates like Juan Soto and Aaron Judge to do damage behind him.

Torres slashed .293/.361/.419 over his final 61 regular-season games. He ended the season ranking seventh among second basemen in batting average (.254), fourth in hits (151), 10th in home runs (15), fifth in RBI (63), fifth in OBP (.330), and sixth in OPS (.708). He also posted a solid .241/.348/.397 line in the postseason.

For the right price, the Yankees would struggle to find a better option than Torres at second base in this free-agent market. Aside from Torres (5.3 WAR), the next best available second baseman is 34-year-old Kyle Farmer, who registered just 2.0 WAR in 2024.

If the Yankees let Torres walk, they could shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to his natural position at second base, creating a hole at third. The only free-agent third baseman with a WAR above 2.0 is Alex Bregman (8.6). Alternatively, they could keep Chisholm at third and consider Ha-Seong Kim (6.9 WAR), who played shortstop in 2024 but spent 106 games at second base in 2023. However, like Torres, Kim is coming off a down season offensively.

The Yankees also have internal options such as Oswaldo Cabrera, Jon Berti, Jorbit Vivas, Oswald Peraza, and Caleb Dubin to fill the gap. If they choose another direction, McDaniel listed the Seattle Mariners as a potential landing spot for Torres, citing their need for hitters on reasonable contracts and their emphasis on hitting skills over raw power.