The Yankees are back in the same uncomfortable spot at second base, and one familiar name has drifted back into the conversation.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on the open market, the internal options haven’t settled anything, and Brian Cashman still has a lineup puzzle to solve for 2027. New York wants more dependable offense after another early postseason exit, but it also needs steadier defense in the infield. Those goals don’t always line up neatly, which is exactly why this search is getting messy.
That’s where Gleyber Torres comes in.
The former Yankees infielder, now a free agent after two seasons in Detroit, has become a possible reunion candidate. It’s not a deal, and not even reported negotiation - just a name that makes sense enough to keep coming up. Torres gives the Yankees something they’ve been missing at the plate, even if the glove still creates a real debate.
In 2026, Torres hit .260 with a .364 on-base percentage, eight home runs and 38 RBIs in 96 games for the Tigers. Two left oblique injuries limited him, but his ability to get on base held up even as the power dipped. His .727 OPS and 105 OPS+ showed a hitter who was still above average, just not the same middle-of-the-order force he was when he hit 38 homers for the Yankees in 2019.
The power drop matters. So does the slugging.
Torres finished at .363 in that category, which is not exactly the kind of thump a club with multiple offensive holes is hunting for. Still, his 2025 season in Detroit was stronger: .256, 16 home runs, 74 RBIs and a .358 on-base percentage.
That performance earned him an All-Star nod before he accepted a $22.025 million qualifying offer to stay with the Tigers for 2026.
The Yankees know Torres well, and that familiarity is part of the appeal. He debuted in New York in 2018, made the All-Star team in each of his first two seasons, and remained with the club through its 2024 World Series appearance. There would be no adjustment period to Yankee Stadium or to Aaron Boone’s expectations.
But there would be a role to define.
That’s the catch with a player whose value is so tied to one side of the ball. A team can live with limited defense if the bat is loud enough, but that usually means the front office has to keep patching things later.
Late-game substitutions, defensive replacements, lineup compromises - all of that comes with the territory. The Yankees already lived through some of that before moving on from Torres after the 2024 World Series season.
The old tension still hangs over any possible return. After the Yankees acquired Chisholm in July 2024, Cashman wanted Torres to move to third base.
Boone kept Torres at second and slid Chisholm to third. Cashman later said Torres had been unwilling to change positions.
That disagreement is now part of the background on any reunion talk.
Joe Najarian framed the issue plainly in his assessment of Torres:
“On one hand, Torres would strictly be brought in for his bat, as his glove at second base remains mediocre (-5 OAA, -2 FRV),”
That’s the heart of the decision. Torres’ bat can help.
His glove still raises questions. Statcast credited him with minus-5 outs above average at second base in 2026, and Baseball Savant shows that was the third straight season he finished at minus-5.
For a Yankees team trying to support its pitching staff while also improving the offense, that’s a tough tradeoff to ignore.
The contract side matters too. Torres’ 2026 salary came via the qualifying offer, not a fresh multiyear deal, so any new agreement would have to reflect both the injury-shortened season and the reduced power output. His name carries weight, but the market will be shaped by the numbers.
The Yankees may not have a clean lane to Torres anyway. Toronto has also been mentioned as a possible destination, with his history against the Blue Jays and experience at Rogers Centre feeding that speculation. It’s not an active bidding war, but it does add another wrinkle for New York.
And Torres isn’t the only option on the board. Brandon Lowe, Luis Arraez and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are also in the second-base mix, along with Chisholm. Each brings a different blend of offense, defense and price, which gives the Yankees several paths - and no easy one.
For now, Torres is just part of the conversation. The Yankees still have to decide whether the offense is worth the defensive compromise, and whether a familiar face is the right answer to a problem they still haven’t solved.
In Other News...
Brewers Face A Big Bullpen Question As Yankees Search For Help
The Yankees have made it clear that bullpen help sits near the top of their offseason checklist, and Brian Cashmans front office is already being tied to one of the more practical options on the market. New York extended a qualifying offer to free agent closer David Bednar, a move that keeps the door open while also signaling how seriously the club is treating the late innings heading into next season.
Meanwhile, a trade idea has surfaced that would send Brewers closer Trevor Megill to the Bronx as a more affordable alternative to bringing Bednar back. Milwaukee has its own bullpen question to sort through, which is why this kind of discussion has started to pick up, even if nothing official is in motion yet. For the Yankees, the appeal is obvious: they need relief help, and they may have to decide whether to pay for a familiar name or pivot to a cheaper path. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Cost Cutting Raises A Bigger Question About Real Change
The Yankees have started the offseason by trimming a couple of familiar front-office roles, deciding not to renew the contracts of senior advisers Brian Sabean and Omar Minaya as financial pressures push the club to discontinue those advisory positions. It is a notable shift for a franchise that has long preferred to project stability and resources, even as it now works within a budget for offseason transactions while labor uncertainty hangs over Major League Baseball.
Brian Cashman said other coaching decisions are still unresolved, including the hitting coach job, as the club continues to evaluate candidates. For a team coming off another year of scrutiny, the personnel moves matter not just for who is retained or removed, but for what they say about how far the Yankees are willing to go in rethinking the way they operate. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Bullpen Search Is Heating Up As Market Starts Moving
The bullpen market is starting to move, and two familiar names are already in the mix. Right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga and left-hander Tim Hill are both drawing attention as the Dodgers look to add relief help, according to ESPNs Jesse Rogers and the New York Posts Jon Heyman. For the Yankees, it is another reminder that the relief market they are watching is getting crowded quickly, with multiple clubs circling the same veteran arms.
Loaisigas recent season with the Diamondbacks gave him a stronger platform heading into this round of interest, while Hills time with the Yankees last season was more uneven. Either way, both pitchers have appeal beyond Los Angeles, with the Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Guardians, Giants and Cardinals all said to be in the mix. As the market opens up, the early competition could shape how quickly New York can move on the bullpen help it still needs. [Read more 🡒]