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Yankees facing tough offseason decision with infielder's resurgence
When Gleyber Torres was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the New York Yankees in 2016 as part of the Aroldis Chapman deal, he arrived with sky-high expectations. His first two years lived up to the hype, as the young second baseman became a two-time All-Star, posting a .271 average, 62 home runs and a .845 OPS between 2018 and 2019.
However, Torres’ trajectory hit a wall when he was moved to shortstop in 2020. His struggles were amplified as his defensive metrics plummeted and his power disappeared. After posting nine home runs in 127 games in 2021, the Yankees moved Torres back to second base, where he worked as a serviceable — if not standout — player.
Fast forward to 2024 and Torres was at a crossroads. After two solid-but-unspectacular years (24 and 25 home runs in 2022 and 2023, respectively), his future in New York seemed uncertain. He was an average second baseman at best and a below-average baserunner. Heading into a contract year, Torres was hitting just .231 with a dismal .654 OPS in the first half of the season.
Then came the leadoff role.
Torres was shifted to the leadoff spot on July 24, a decision born out of desperation. With DJ LeMahieu injured and Anthony Volpe struggling, the Yankees turned to Torres. He responded by raising his OPS to .755 while hitting .283 with six homers in the role. His bat came alive and while Aaron Judge and Juan Soto remained the team's key threats, Torres' consistency at the top of the order kept the offense afloat.
This resurgence carried into the postseason. Torres led off both ALCS games against the Cleveland Guardians with hits — helping ignite early scoring in Game 2 — and his posted a .933 OPS through 24 postseason at-bats.
"The way [Gleyber Torres has] been setting the tone ever since he started hitting lead-off. He goes, and the guys hitting behind him, we go."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 16, 2024
Anthony Volpe spoke with @LGRed after the @Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the #ALCS! pic.twitter.com/LXwyXOP0vR
The bigger question now: What does Torres’ performance mean for his future with the Yankees?
Torres is a free agent at the end of this season. The Yankees are expected to have over $100 million come off the books after this year and they could afford to keep him on a four- or five-year deal. But with a massive potential Juan Soto contract looming, things get complicated.
Soto is Torres’ close friend and his future in the Bronx may play a key role in the infielder's decision. With projections for Soto to land a contract north of $500 million, the Yankees’ payroll could easily push past the $241 million luxury-tax threshold before addressing other needs—including Torres.
With young infield prospects like George Lombard Jr. and Roderick Arias projected to reach the majors by 2027, the Yankees face added pressure in deciding Torres' future. Torres has insisted his focus is on the present, though.
“I know I have really good players behind me,’’ Torres told Dan Martin of the New York Post. “And to get the responsibility to be leadoff is huge for me, so I just try to do the right thing and worry about free agency after the season and hopefully after the World Series.”
For now, Torres is proving he can still be a key piece of the Yankees lineup. Whether that remains true in 2025 and beyond is a question the front office will soon have to answer.
More must-reads:
- How a balanced attack is aiding Yankees' championship run
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone pulling all the right strings
- The 'Highest-paid player for every MLB team' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Astros' playoff push dealt significant blow
The Houston Astros' playoff push received a devastating blow on Tuesday. The Astros announced that closer Josh Hader was placed on the injured list with a strained left shoulder. Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reported that Hader will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the strain. Hader has been utterly dominant for the Astros in 2025. He had posted a 2.05 ERA and a 0.854 WHIP over his 52.2 innings, striking out 76 batters with 16 walks. Hader had notched 28 saves in 29 attempts as he continued to make a case as the best closer in the game. As the July 31 trade deadline has passed, the Astros may have no option but to cobble the ninth inning together out of what they already have. Reliever Bennett Sousa recorded the one-out save on Monday and is second on the team with four saves. Fellow relievers Bryan Abreu, Bryan King and Steven Okert have impressed this season. The Astros, on paper at least, have plenty of depth in the bullpen. Despite that depth, the ninth inning is now a question mark. Abreu has notched nine saves in his career, the most of any of the Astros' other late-inning options. A reunion with reliever Ryan Pressly, who was designated for assignment and subsequently released by the Cubs, could be a possibility. Pressly does have closing experience but struggled to a 4.35 ERA and a 1.524 WHIP over his 41.1 innings in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Mariners have been white-hot since the trade deadline, winning nine of their last 10 games, including seven in a row heading into Tuesday. That surge has the Mariners just a game behind the Astros in a suddenly competitive AL West. The Guardians and Rangers are within 6.5 games of Houston, well within striking distance should the Astros falter. If Hader is on the injured list for an extended period, the Astros may be fighting for a playoff berth by the end of the season.
Bryson DeChambeau divulges Scottie Scheffler's biggest advantage
We all know Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet by a fairly large margin, but what makes him so much more consistent than other stars in professional golf? Bryson DeChambeau, one of Scheffler's biggest rivals in major championships, thinks he knows the answer. In Tuesday's appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," DeChambeau detailed how Scheffler dominates the PGA Tour weekly. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen," DeChambeau said. "He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else. Like, if you're 175 yards out, and it's 10 miles [an hour] into the wind, he knows how to control the flight and spin to get that ball to land right next to the hole every time. Probably since Tiger [Woods], he's the best that we've seen." The stats confirm DeChambeau's breakdown. Scheffler has ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in three straight seasons. He also ranks first in proximity to the hole and greens in regulation percentage over the last four years. Iron play is Scheffler's superpower, but it wasn't always that way. "I played with him in college a bunch, and I've said it before, but he's definitely improved since college for sure," DeChambeau said with a chuckle. "It's impressive to see what he's done, and we're all aspiring to do that. That's something I've gotta get better at. I can hit it farther than him. I can hit it probably straighter than him. I can make just as many putts as him, but, really, it's about my iron play right now and wedges to get a little more consistent." Iron play is the biggest indicator of success in professional golf. If you're giving yourself more birdie chances from close range than anyone in the field, you're going to have the best chance to win by Sunday afternoon. No one is better at hitting specific distances more consistently than Scheffler. Just look at how accurate he is. DeChambeau has the best chance to catch Scheffler as the best player in the world because he's elite off the tee and on the greens, but that won't happen unless he makes a major improvement to his iron game.
Cowboys Release New Depth Chart As 'Difficult Decisions' at Receiver Loom
The Dallas Cowboys receiver room right now is giving head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the personnel department a lot of headaches - but in a good way, if there is such a thing. Yes, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are top of the pile, but behind them, it is rather jumbled. KaVontae Turpin could easily be seen as the third receiver, so too Jalen Tolbert. But behind them are Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy, and Traeshon Holden. Will the Cowboys carry five receivers? Or six? Either way, players are going to miss out and might even land on the practice squad. You can see the crowd in the new depth chart released on Tuesday ... And for offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, he is loving the competition. ... at receiver (and beyond) ... “It's been fun to watch that group," Adams said. "That's really what you're trying to build in every room is a lot of really difficult decisions for the personnel guys and the coaching staff and incredible amounts of competition. So that being what we want this team and organization to be 100% about is competition, that's our calling card, is what the receiving room is doing right now, and making it very difficult for people to figure out who's going to be what number, whatever. I love it, I think it's great." For most, it is Turpin and Tolbert occupying the third and fourth receiver spot (in any order), with Mingo and then possibly Brooks making up the group as part of special teams. Still, that will mean Flournoy and Holden will be the ones to miss out, which is why the next two weeks of practice and the preseason games are going to be vital to the final outcome of the room. Who will see their stock rise and who will fall? Schottenheimer wanted competition, and when it comes to the receiver room, boy, he got it.
Broncos QB Bo Nix pumps the brakes on his own head coach's hype train
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has said he believes Bo Nix will become a top-five quarterback soon. The second-year passer lacks the same bravado as his coach. When asked if he would double-down on the hype in a Tuesday interview with FanDuel's Kay Adams, Nix refused to do so. But he did agree with Payton that the Super Bowl should be the Broncos' goal in 2025. "Listen, I'm glad I've got a coach that believes in us as players to put that stuff out there," the QB said. "The good thing about our team is we're gonna have guys come up and show up to work, they're not going to let distractions get to them. The Super Bowl kind of goes without having to say it, you know, we're all working for that goal." The Broncos starters didn't look like Super Bowl contenders in their first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. During the 30-9 win, Nix and the first-team offense played just three drives. The QB went 6-of-11 for 31 yards. Despite the shaky preseason opener, Payton hasn't lost confidence in the 25-year-old. "The first thing that people look at, even free agents, is, [does a team] have a quarterback?" Payton told Adams. "I think the people that have seen Bo play in person... have seen his skill set, his feet, his ability to get us in the right place." Nix finished third in 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels after tossing 29 touchdown passes in 17 starts. However, Denver needs him to get off to a faster start in 2025. In his first four games last season, the Oregon/Auburn product tossed one TD pass and four interceptions. The Broncos also need him to deliver against playoff teams. Denver went 2-5 against teams that made the postseason in 2024. If Nix does both of those things, more people should hop on Payton's hype train.
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