BREAKING: Yankees Set To Trade for ‘Perfect’ Gleyber Torres Replacement
To say that things are going well for the New York Yankees as we approach the heart of the MLB season in June would be an understatement. Their starting rotation is strong, boasting an ERA of 2.76, the second-best in MLB, and ace Gerrit Cole is set to return from an arm injury that has sidelined him since March. Although the bullpen might need some reinforcement, the relievers have a combined ERA of 2.86, also second in MLB, and a WHIP of 1.14, ranking third.
The Yankees’ lineup is equally impressive, with a collective OPS of .768, the highest in baseball, and 93 home runs, the second-most in the league.
However, there is a weak spot in the lineup, particularly on the right side of the infield where Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres have underperformed. While finding a new first baseman to replace Rizzo might be straightforward, securing a new second baseman is more challenging.
Aaron Boone on Gleyber Torres' dropped pop-up tonight:
"Every time he goes to catch one, I go "ahh" because it's not how I'd do it, but he's really good at doing it. I get how it looks sometimes with Gleyber. Reality is the last month he's played really good defense" pic.twitter.com/Rnnft3xk8t
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 8, 2024
One potential solution is Luis Rengifo of the Angels, who could replace Torres. Rengifo is performing at an All-Star level and has club control through the end of 2025, making him an attractive option as the trade deadline approaches. As Bleacher Report MLB podcaster Borna Nazari noted on Friday, “What about Luis Rengifo? He is playing like an All-Star. He comes with club control through the end of 2025.”
Gleyber Torres Replaced by Luis Rengifo = ‘Perfect’?
Luis Rengifo, now 27 and in his seventh season with the Angels, is having a breakout year with a slash line of .327/.374/.469. While there’s some concern about him regressing, Rengifo has been a consistent hitter over the past two seasons, maintaining a .264 average with 17 home runs in 2022 and 16 in 2023.
Rengifo could be a valuable alternative for the Yankees to replace Gleyber Torres.
B/R podcaster Borna Nazari suggested on a livestream that “the Angels could send Rengifo to the Yankees, if they like that move. It would be a really good fit for the Yankees. Where would Rengifo play? … Are you tired of Gleyber Torres? Do you think the Gleyber Torres experience in New York is over? Because Torres is hitting .238 with an OPS of .650. Rengifo would fit perfectly where Gleyber is currently playing.”
Integrating Rengifo into an already formidable Yankees lineup would only strengthen their position in MLB.
Gleyber Torres can’t get off the Yankees fast enough. If this is how he plays in a contract year, how hard will he play after a new contract? pic.twitter.com/S5mqBhCjam
— John Hoey (@JohnnyHoey) June 7, 2024
“Look at this Yankees offense, it’s loaded. Outside of Gleyber Torres, you slot in Rengifo there, it’s big-time,” Nazari added.
Yankees Could Risk Messing With a Good Thing
As the Yankees approach the trade deadline, a crucial question arises: Is it worth replacing Gleyber Torres, even if it makes sense, when the overall lineup has been highly productive? The primary issue lies with the second baseman, who mostly bats seventh and has had a slow start.
Fox Sports MLB writer Deesha Thosar proposed the idea of overhauling the Rizzo-Torres portion of the infield but expressed caution.
“Gleyber Torres had a better May than April, and he’s been serviceable since coming out of that early-season slump, but he still sports an 81 OPS+ and has been embroiled in trade rumors throughout his Yankees tenure,” Thosar wrote.
However, Torres has hit in 12 of his last 13 games and has a .289 average over that span.
As Thosar pointed out: “There is an argument to be made that the Yankees lineup, one of the best units in the majors, doesn’t need retooling in case it messes up their good flow.”