NEW YORK — The Yankees have spent the winter chasing headlines. They have waited on Cody Bellinger. They have watched rivals stack their rosters. They have made fans nervous with their quiet approach. On Saturday, they finally made a move. It was not the one anyone expected.
New York signed Nicholas Torres to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The 32-year-old first baseman and outfielder arrives from a league most Yankees fans have never followed. He brings a resume that demands attention. He also brings questions that only Grapefruit League games can answer.
Torres just won Mexican League MVP. He destroyed pitching south of the border all summer. Now the Yankees want to find out if that power can play in the Bronx.
A monster season demands attention
The numbers Nick Torres posted with Algodoneros Union Laguna read like a video game. He slashed .347/.425/.730 across 86 games. He launched 27 home runs. He drove in 79 runs. His 1.155 OPS led the entire Mexican League.
The production extended beyond raw counting stats. Torres tied for the league lead in doubles with 32. He tied for the lead in extra base hits with 65. He finished second in total bases. Every corner of his offensive profile screamed dominance.
His Mexican League team bid farewell with a heartfelt statement when the Yankees deal became known.
“Thank you, Nick Torres, for every game, every delivery, and every thrill you gave us,” Algodoneros wrote on social media. “For the way you have connected with the fans, for becoming a reference, an idol, and one of the most beloved players of this house.”
The statement continued: “Your time with the Revolucion leaves a mark on the diamond, in the stands, and in the hearts of our people. Today it’s your turn to keep growing and fulfill one more dream, now with the Yankees organization.”
Torres has been dominant in Mexico since 2021. Over the past four seasons, he has hit .343 with a 1.025 OPS for Union Laguna. The consistency suggests real improvement rather than a single outlier campaign.
The long road back to affiliated baseball
Torres was once a legitimate prospect. The San Diego Padres selected him in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He climbed the minor league ladder steadily. He reached Double-A with San Diego. He made it to Triple-A with both the Padres and the Texas Rangers by 2018.
But the big league call never came. Torres played 212 games at Double-A and 71 games at Triple-A across his affiliated career. He hit a combined .267 at those levels. The bat showed promise but never quite pushed him over the edge.
His final season in affiliated ball came with the Triple-A Round Rock Express in 2018. He hit just .195 that year. The Rangers let him go. Torres found a new home in Mexico the following year.
Now he returns to affiliated baseball seven years later. He is older. He is wiser. He has clearly unlocked something in his swing that eluded him during his first run through the minors.
Where Torres fits with the Yankees
The first base situation in the Bronx remains unsettled. Paul Goldschmidt split time with Ben Rice last season. Goldschmidt is now a free agent and unlikely to return. That leaves Rice as the presumptive starter with no proven backup behind him.
General manager Brian Cashman has indicated Rice could be the everyday first baseman in 2026. Manager Aaron Boone has said he expects Rice to play a lot against left-handed pitching. Neither has revealed a firm plan for the righty side of a potential platoon.
Torres offers a potential answer. Standing 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he swings from the right side. He can play both corner outfield spots and first base. His profile fits exactly what the Yankees need as insurance.
The signing represents what analysts call a zero-risk lottery ticket. Torres will earn a minor league salary. He will compete in spring training. If his bat translates against major league pitching, he could force his way onto the roster. If not, the Yankees lose nothing.
Nick Torres — Career batting statistics
Games: 998
AVG: .309 OBP: .377 SLG: .545 OPS: .922
HR: 160 RBI: 786 2B: 273 Hits: 1,166
| Year | Team / League | G | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 2019 | Frisco/Nashville (AA/AAA) | 89 | 339 | 45 | 89 | 18 | 9 | 47 | .263 | .318 | .415 | .733 |
| 2021 | Saltillo (LMB) | 66 | 243 | 62 | 90 | 20 | 15 | 53 | .371 | .451 | .635 | 1.086 |
| 2022 | Dos Laredos (LMB) | 82 | 319 | 71 | 103 | 22 | 16 | 61 | .324 | .408 | .540 | .948 |
| 2023 | Dos Laredos (LMB) | 84 | 322 | 83 | 117 | 28 | 22 | 87 | .363 | .448 | .652 | 1.100 |
| 2024 | Unión Laguna (LMB) | 85 | 321 | 96 | 114 | 32 | 28 | 101 | .356 | .439 | .681 | 1.120 |
| 2025 | Unión Laguna (LMB) | 86 | 330 | 89 | 115 | 32 | 27 | 79 | .347 | .425 | .730 | 1.155 |
Career notes
- Drafted by the San Diego Padres (4th round, 2014) out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
- Reached AAA with the Texas Rangers in 2019 before moving to LMB in 2021.
- Back-to-back LMB OPS leader and 2025 Mexican League MVP, hitting .347 with 27 HR and 79 RBI.
- Over four LMB seasons (2021-25): 403 G | .353 AVG | 108 HR | 381 RBI | 1.08 OPS.
Boone prepares multiple options at first
The Yankees have not placed all their eggs in one basket at first base. Boone recently told utility man Amed Rosario to start learning the position.
“That’s one of the positions we’ll work him out at,” Boone said. “He lives in the Tampa area. I think he’s going home to the Dominican Republic for Christmas, and then he’ll probably be at the complex a fair amount in January and working that first base into the mix.”
Boone also noted that Rosario began learning the position with the Washington Nationals last year. He never appeared in a game there but did the early developmental work.
The Yankees have also signed former Brewers prospect Ernesto Martinez Jr. to provide additional first base depth. Torres joins a crowded competition for backup duties behind Rice.
Cashman likes the roster he has built
Despite the quiet winter, Cashman has expressed confidence in the Yankees roster. He believes the team can compete for a championship without making a blockbuster move.
“I think we’re in a good spot,” Cashman said. “The job right now is to find out what’s available, and those all have different price points. There could be cheap players that are available that are good. Or there could be very expensive players that are available that are good. It’s just cost of acquisition; the cheap ones would be in the trade market, clearly.”
The Torres signing falls squarely in the cheap category. It represents exactly the kind of low-cost flyer Cashman loves. Find a player with upper level experience. Give him a chance to prove himself. See what happens.
The Yankees currently hold the second-best odds to win the World Series. They still have Jazz Chisholm at second base. They still have Aaron Judge in right field. They still have one of the deepest lineups in baseball. Adding Torres costs them nothing and could pay dividends.
The question that spring training must answer
Mexican League pitching is not major league pitching. The gap between international independent leagues and affiliated ball is significant. Many players dominate abroad and struggle when they return to the States.
Torres will have to prove his power translates. He will face arms with higher velocity and sharper breaking balls. He will see advanced scouting reports and intentional sequencing designed to expose weaknesses.
The odds favor a Triple-A assignment with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Torres will likely start the season there. But spring training offers a window. If he rakes against major league competition in Florida, the conversation changes.
The Yankees need depth. They need right-handed bats. They need options at first base. Torres checks every box on paper. Now he must prove the paper was right.
For a team searching for value in an expensive market, the Mexican League MVP represents a creative solution. Whether that creativity pays off remains to be seen. But the Yankees clearly believe the bat is worth the gamble.
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