Yankees Drop Spring Training Invite List-But Where’s Nick Torres?
The Yankees released their list of non-roster invitees to spring training on Thursday evening, and while the usual suspects made the cut-veteran depth pieces like Paul DeJong, a crop of rookies, and promising prospects-one name was conspicuously absent: Nick Torres.
Now, Torres wasn’t expected to headline camp or push for an Opening Day roster spot. But his omission still raised a few eyebrows, and for good reason.
Let’s rewind for a second. Torres, a 32-year-old first baseman, signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees back on December 27.
He’s coming off a monster season in the Mexican League, where he was named MVP in 2025. That kind of production, even in an international league, tends to at least earn you a look in spring training-especially when you’re joining a team that hasn’t exactly been aggressive in the free-agent market this winter.
And that’s what makes his absence from the invite list puzzling. This spring was shaping up to be a solid opportunity for the Yankees to get a closer look at Torres.
He hasn’t played affiliated ball since 2018, when he was in the Rangers’ system, so it’s been a while. But this wasn’t about penciling him into the starting lineup-it was about seeing what he’s got left, and whether he could be a viable depth option, maybe even a platoon partner for Ben Rice down the road after some Triple-A seasoning.
Instead, nothing. No invite.
No update. No explanation.
It’s not just fans who noticed, either. Social media lit up with questions about Torres’ whereabouts, including a few posts from fans who had been tracking his signing and were genuinely curious to see how he’d look in pinstripes this spring.
To be clear, this isn’t a franchise-shaking development. Torres was always going to be a long shot.
But on a team that’s been relatively quiet this offseason, even the minor-league signings have taken on a bit more intrigue. When you’re not bringing in big names, the under-the-radar moves start to matter a little more-and when those players don’t show up, people notice.
There’s still a chance Torres could appear later in camp, possibly brought over from minor-league side if he’s healthy and available. That happens often during spring, especially with players rotating in and out as injuries crop up or WBC commitments thin out the roster. But for now, his absence is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Bottom line: the Yankees' spring invite list is full of interesting names, but it’s also missing one that had quietly piqued the interest of fans paying attention. Nick Torres may not be a game-changer, but he was a storyline worth following. And right now, that storyline has hit a mysterious pause.