All-Star Infielder Open To Signing Extension, Wants To Be With Yankees For Life
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He’s open for business, but there has been no traction thus far with a hard deadline set.
New York Yankees All-Star infielder Gleyber Torres spoke to reporters on Wednesday at the team’s spring training facility in Tampa, Fla. and touched on his current status as he enters the final year of arbitration.
According to Torres, there have yet to be any negotiations about a long-term deal, but he is open to talking with the Yankees and wants to remain in the Bronx.
“I don’t want to leave from here,” per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I feel at home right now. I want to be a Yankee for life.”
Torres was reportedly a bit emotional after revealing that it has crossed his mind that this might be his last year with the Yankees, the only team he has ever played for in the big-leagues since coming up the majors in 2018.
While Torres is more than willing to discuss an extension, he has also made it clear that he has no interest doing so once the regular season begins. This is the typical standard for players entering the final year of their contract. So, if nothing gets done by the end of spring training, the 27-year-old will head to free agency next winter.
Now, the Yankees also have superstar Juan Soto, who is the final year of arbitration as well, and the expectation is that he will reach free agency next year, where he could draw a contract in the neighborhood of $600 million.
Soto will likely be the Yankees’ top priority in free agency, but if they lose out on him then that would allow them to shift their focus to retaining Torres.
Since making his Yankee debut, Torres has made the AL All-Star team twice, and has proven to be one of the best offensive second basemen in the game. With the arrival of Soto, he is the Yankees’ third best hitter behind the superstar outfielder and Aaron Judge, another top slugger in the game.
Torres is a valuable asset for the Yankees, but depending on the campaign he puts together, as well as money and Soto’s status, this could be his final season in the Bronx. He wants to stay for life, and is open to working something out, but it doesn’t sound like it is in the cards for the Yankees at the moment.