Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Could Pursue AL East Foe in Free Agency

The New York Yankees could target one of their longtime rivals in free agency this offseason.

Grant Young

Sep 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second base Brandon Lowe (8) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Sep 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second base Brandon Lowe (8) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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It remains to be seen whether the New York Yankees will want to bring second baseman Gleyber Torres back to the Bronx next season.

Gleyber will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason after spending the first seven seasons of his MLB career in New York. While he has been a key component to the Yankees' World Series run this year, his inconsistency over the past few campaigns might convince New York to move on from the 27-year-old.

In an October 24 article, The Athletic's Jim Bowden listed one AL East team that could be a good fit for Torres. He also listed another AL East second baseman that could take Torres' place at second base.

"Brandon Lowe is another player who just can’t stay off the injured list; he’s played more than 110 games just once in his seven-year career and has averaged 108 games over the last two years. However, his power has been consistent during that span as he hit 21 homers in both years," Bowden wrote.

"He’s only 30, and if he can stay healthy, his power plays, as it did in 2021 when he hit 39 home runs. He finished in the top 10 in AL MVP voting in 2020 and 2021 so there’s no denying his potential.

"Tampa Bay holds a $10.5 million team option for 2025 ($1 million buyout) and an $11.5 million option ($500,000 buyout) for 2026. The Rays could certainly pick up the option, but if they don’t, Lowe could be a smart high-risk, high-reward type signing this winter," Bowden added before listing the Yankees as one of Lowe's top free agency fits.

Lowe has a .211 batting average with 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 26 runs scored in 65 games against the Yankees in his career.

If the Yankees do decide to move on from Torres, Lowe could become one of their top targets if Tampa Bay doesn't exercise his team option this offseason.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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