New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman stirred controversy with recent comments about a former All-Star.
Speaking to YES Network’s Yankees Hot Stove, Cashman revealed that Gleyber Torres, who signed with the Detroit Tigers this offseason, was “unwilling” to move to third base after the team acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins last year.
“When I acquired Jazz, I acquired Jazz to be our second baseman and move Gleyber to third the rest of last year,” Cashman told Yankees Hot Stove. “[Manager Aaron Boone] wanted to do it the other way. He moved Jazz to third after we got him and kept Gleyber at second because Gleyber didn’t want to move to third and was unwilling.”
Torres’ position on the matter was clear when reporters asked about switching positions last July.
“I’m a second baseman. I play second,” Torres said bluntly on July 28.
The 28-year-old Torres didn’t take kindly to Cashman’s recent comments, responding on social media.
“Still? Just turn [the page],” Torres posted on X with an emoji of a piece of paper, though he later deleted the post.
Gleyber Torres seems to have bit back at Brian Cashman following his comments earlier tonight…😳#Yankees pic.twitter.com/YzmnkYa3ej
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) February 7, 2025
Torres spent seven seasons with the Yankees after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Aroldis Chapman in 2016. He earned All-Star selections in his first two years and appeared poised to become a franchise cornerstone. However, his performance declined last year.
In 2024, Torres struggled defensively and on the basepaths, leading to multiple benchings for on-field miscues. He finished the season with just 15 home runs, a .709 OPS, 101 OPS+, and 1.8 bWAR before signing a one-year, $15 million contract with Detroit.
With Torres gone, the Yankees face decisions about their infield alignment. They’re still determining whether to move Chisholm back to second base, where he played with the Marlins, or keep him at third. With Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado unlikely to land in the Bronx, internal options at third include Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, DJ LeMahieu, and Jorbit Vivas.
“I don’t know how [the third base situation is] going to play out,” Cashman stated. “I do think we can have one of these candidates emerge or multiple guys emerge into a platoon situation at worst, or a solo shot at best and if not there’s also the marketplace to play around with as we move forward.”