Gleyber Torres would like to turn the page.
The former Yankees and new Tigers second baseman made that clear in a since-deleted social media post on Thursday night, which came after the YES Network aired an interview with Brian Cashman. In the interview, the general manager said that he acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins last summer with the intent of him playing second base and Torres moving to third. But Torres, an impending free agent, wanted to stay at second, a preference he made public after Chisholm joined the Yankees.
Chisholm, acquired on July 27, ended up being the one who learned third base on the fly.
“I acquired Jazz to be our second baseman and move Gleyber to third the rest of last year,” Cashman said. “[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.”
Who will bat leadoff❓ What about backup catcher❓ And third base❓
Brian Cashman answers some of the Yankees lineup questions heading into spring training ⚾ pic.twitter.com/VjmOaPXjM4
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) February 7, 2025
Cashman didn’t criticize Torres’ desire to stay at second, nor did he reveal anything all that new. Torres himself made his wishes known on July 28 when the Yankees were in Boston.
“I’m a second baseman. I play second,” he said, though he added that everything was on the table and that he would stay ready for anything.
Still, Torres seemed to take issue with Cashman’s YES Network comments on Thursday. Shortly after the interview aired, the 28-year-old tweeted, “Still?” followed by sleeping emoji and laughing emojis. The rest of the post, which Torres removed from X, read, “Just turn” followed by an emoji depicting a page being turned in a notebook.
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, who didn’t like playing third in the minors, was one of the worst defensive second basemen in baseball last year. He led his position with a career-high 18 errors, and advanced metrics also looked down on his work in the field.
Chisholm, meanwhile, held his own at third after vocalizing his willingness to play any position. There were certainly some growing pains at the hot corner, but also favorable metrics.
With Torres no longer on the Yankees — he didn’t receive an offer to stay with the club — and spring training days away, it remains to be seen exactly how the club will fill second and third. Chisholm has spent more time at second than any other position, and Boone recently said that he planned on the infielder playing there “right now.”
However, Cashman said that he was comfortable with Chisholm at either position, and that he could even rove between the two spots depending on who is pitching. DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza are the main competitors for whatever spot Chisholm isn’t playing, though Cashman also mentioned Jorbit Vivas.
“We’re going to have some guys taking some reps, trying to earn a spot, whether it’s at second or third,” Cashman said. “The flexibility and the athleticism that Jazz provides gives us ample opportunity to play it out. I’ll be comfortable when somebody solidifies that, whether it’s a platoon situation or it’s a solo shot.”
That the Yankees are going into spring training with LeMahieu, Cabrera and Peraza as their main options for one infield spot has alarmed some fans.
LeMahieu, owed $30 million over the next two seasons, has shown serious signs of decline over the last few years, but the team has expressed hope that he can bounce back with good health. Cabrera seems better suited for a utility role, though he may be the best in-house candidate, while Peraza has yet to show that he can hit big league pitchers.
If those options don’t work out, “there’s always the marketplace,” Cashman said, but external options are currently limited with teams reporting to camp next week.
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