Yankees Expect Gleyber Torres Will Rebound From 2020 Struggles Thanks To Friendly Competition

Fans of the New York Yankees are breathing a sigh of relief knowing super utility ball player DJ LeMahieu will be returning to the Bronx with a six-year, $90 million contract. They also received a surprise with the signing of two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to a one-year, $11 million contract. The Yankees avoided arbitration with eight ball players and agreed to terms on one-year contracts worth a combined $36.26 million according to salary figures obtained from Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Amid the recent flurry of activity and concerted effort to stay below the $210 million Competitive Balance Tax threshold, Gleyber Torres’ preparation for the 2021 season is an important topic of interest for the Yankees. The 24-year-old shortstop is already a two-time all-star but setbacks regarding health and performance last season have naturally raised questions. His name was even mentioned at the request of the Cincinnati Reds in a trade proposal for right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo according to Jon Heyman of the MLB Network. Comparisons are likely to occur for Torres thanks to the New York Mets’ acquisition of four-time all-star Francisco Lindor. The shortstop position will once again become a focal point of attention for baseball fans in New York City as well as the beginnings of a friendly competition between two dynamic ball players.  

In his first year of salary arbitration eligibility as a “Super Two,” Torres agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract for the 2021 season. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic and prorated salaries based on an abbreviated 60-game regular season, Torres was scheduled to earn $675,700 in 2020 according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. The 27-year-old Lindor avoided arbitration as well in his final year of eligibility and agreed to a one-year, $22.3 million contract.

Torres’ talent and unlimited potential was well known when he was one of four ball players traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Yankees for left-handed relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman in July 2016. It was a short-term gain, long-term loss scenario for the Cubs as Chapman helped them win the 2016 World Series. However, he immediately re-signed with the Yankees that offseason and the Cubs had also sacrificed a future double-play combination that could have featured Javier Baez and Torres.

In his first two seasons in the Bronx, Torres quickly developed a reputation as a middle infielder who could hit for power with a combined 62 home runs. In 2019, Torres hit 38 home runs over 144 games in his age 22 season. According to Erik Boland of Newsday, Torres was the second ball player in franchise history to hit at least 30 home runs in his age 22 season or younger since Joe DiMaggio had achieved this feat in 1937 with 46 home runs during his age 22 season.

Torres’ association with iconic Yankees continued in 2019 with eight multi-home run games. According to Boland, Torres tied a franchise record held by Mickey Mantle (1961), Alex Rodriguez (2007), and Babe Ruth (1927). Five of the multi-home run games had occurred against the Baltimore Orioles. In total, Torres hit an astonishing 13 home runs in 66 at bats over 18 games against the Orioles according to Baseball-Reference.com. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported that Torres joined DiMaggio yet again as becoming only the second ball player in franchise history to have five multi-home run games in a season prior to turning 23 years old.

The 2020 season saw Torres play in 42 games as he spent time on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. Over 136 at bats, Torres accumulated 11 extra base hits with only three of them being home runs according to Baseball-Reference.com. The statistical declines in several offensive categories were obvious, but many were quick to surmise it was due to injury, the abbreviated season, poor conditioning, and the inability to get into a rhythm.

Torres’ defense was a topic of conversation as well. One key question of interest that has circulated all offseason is whether Torres is a shortstop or more of a second baseman. If the Yankees were not able to re-sign LeMahieu, you must wonder if Plan B were to trade for Lindor or sign a free agent shortstop like Didi Gregorius, Andrelton Simmons, or Marcus Semien and move Torres to second base.

In 40 games at shortstop (320.2 innings) during the 2020 season, Torres posted a -9 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -5 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) according to FanGraphs. In 138 career games at shortstop (1,132.1 innings), Torres has a -12 DRS and -9.7 UZR. He also made 25 errors at shortstop with nine occurring during the 2020 season. Over the course of the 2018-2019 seasons, Torres had played second base in 174 games (1,463 innings) in which he posted a -7 DRS and -12 UZR accompanied by 21 errors.

Torres now shares New York City and the shortstop position with Lindor. There will be greater scrutiny on Torres’ defense due to the presence of Lindor. He is widely considered one of the best all-around shortstops in baseball with two Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards along with the 2016 Platinum Glove Award for being the best defensive ball player in the American League. Over the past three seasons, Lindor’s 13.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) according to FanGraphs’ calculation was the best among qualified shortstops in baseball. Not to be outdone, Lindor’s defensive prowess led to a 26 DRS and 26.3 UZR, both ranked in the top four in baseball for qualified shortstops during this period as well.       

Gleyber Torres is still learning on the job. He has only played 309 games at the major league level which is less than the equivalent of two full seasons. Even though he has been mesmerizing with countless impressive performances, Torres is still a work in progress on multiple levels. The 2020 season taught him the importance of preparation, conditioning, and the ability to adjust regardless of the situation. Friendly competition with Francisco Lindor will not only energize the fan bases of both the Yankees and Mets, but it will serve Torres well when it comes to regularly evaluating his performance against one of the best shortstops in baseball.

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