Yankees weighing offer to Torres but at less AAV, ship OF to Astros

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The New York Yankees have extended their lone qualifying offer of $21.05 million to Juan Soto, an offer he is expected to decline. Missing from the qualifying offer list was second baseman Gleyber Torres, who, despite early-season offensive struggles, became a key contributor in the postseason.

Speaking at the General Managers Meetings in San Antonio, Texas, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said the team seriously weighed the option of offering Torres a qualifying deal. After thorough consideration, they opted against it, casting uncertainty over Torres’s future with the club.

Cashman praised Torres’s strong finish to the season, underscoring that his second-half performance better represented his potential. He highlighted Torres’s pivotal contributions to the Yankees’ playoff run, citing his surge at the plate during critical moments as instrumental to their success.

Now nearing 28, Torres is set to test free agency for the first time. While the Yankees’ decision not to extend a qualifying offer doesn’t rule out a return, it indicates the team values him below his 2024 salary of $14.2 million. This move sheds light on how the Yankees view Torres’s market worth as they approach offseason decisions.

Despite early struggles this season, Gleyber Torres finished with a .257 batting average and a .709 OPS, including 15 home runs, slightly above league average. His standout postseason saw him post a .297 average and a .832 OPS through the early playoff rounds. Although his World Series performance dipped, he contributed key moments, such as a multi-hit effort in Game 1 and a pivotal three-run homer in Game 4 that staved off elimination.

Should Torres exit in free agency, his Yankees tenure would encapsulate a story of highs and lows. Arriving with high expectations as a top prospect, he appeared on a path to stardom after a breakout 38-home run season in 2019, which secured his second straight All-Star nod. However, subsequent seasons saw a decline, with no OPS topping .800 thereafter.

Torres’s 2024 campaign highlighted areas of concern, including baserunning lapses and defensive inconsistency. These issues led to manager Aaron Boone benching him for not hustling and included a costly error in Game 1 of the World Series when a mishandled outfield throw allowed the tying run to advance, setting up Freddie Freeman’s decisive grand slam.

Despite a prolonged slump in 2024, Torres still held offensive value, ranking as one of the top-hitting second basemen in the AL and trailing only Aaron Judge within the Yankees’ lineup. The team’s decision not to extend a qualifying offer, however, signals that they see his contributions as falling short of justifying a salary north of $20 million annually.

Yankees ship OF to Houston for cash

The Houston Astros are poised to acquire outfielder Taylor Trammell from the New York Yankees in a deal involving cash considerations, according to reports from multiple league sources. The 27-year-old’s brief stint with the Yankees included just five games, in which he tallied one hit in a single at-bat.

Trammell, originally a first-round pick in the 2016 draft, launched his major league career with the Seattle Mariners. During his three seasons in Seattle, he posted a .168 batting average, contributing 15 home runs and 39 RBIs.

After being waived by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Trammell joined the Yankees in April under an $800,000 one-year deal. However, his opportunities at the major league level were limited, and his last appearance came in May.

Trammell spent most of the 2024 season with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, where he displayed improved form. He finished the year with a .256 batting average, 18 home runs, and 63 RBIs.

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