What is the New York Yankees’ plan to replace Gleyber Torres in the leadoff spot?
After seven years in the Bronx, Torres made the split official by signing a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. He wasn’t perfect by any means, but he was a fantastic tone-setter for the Yankees in the playoffs, and now, they need a replacement.
The Yankees have some flexibility with the positional versatility of Jazz Chisholm Jr., but they cannot afford to let either D.J. LeMahieu or Oswaldo Cabrera start every game for them next season.
Another infielder is of the utmost necessity, and it’s possible the Yankees could need to make a trade to find that infielder.
On Saturday, James Nolan of FanSided proposed San Diego Padres All-Star Luis Arraez as a potential fit to replace Torres, which would necessitate the Yankees making another big-time trade this winter.
“Arraez could be a great fit in New York’s lineup. They already have Judge, Stanton, Bellinger, and Goldschmidt to slug home runs,” Nolan wrote. “Adding a lifetime .323 career hitter to get on base for those guys would be perfect.”
“The 27-year-old has 409 games in the leadoff spot. He’s posted a .323 batting averaged and a .364 on base percentage when leading off. With runners in scoring position, Arraez holds a staggering .369 batting average.”
Arraez, 27, has done all of these things in three consecutive seasons: bat at least .314, make the All-Star team, and garner Most Valuable Player votes. Not every metric loves his style of play, but it’s hard to deny the traditional baseball impact he has when he steps in the box.
The issue, from the Yankees’ perspective, is that Arraez is a dismal fielder at second base, and New York just signed Paul Goldschmidt to be their new first baseman. Bringing in Arraez with the express purpose of replacing Torres could drag the infield defense down as a whole.
The Yankees have a choice to make. If it’s not Arraez, who could be expensive to keep for more than a season ($154 million market value, per Spotrac), they certainly need someone new to take over Torres’ spot on the roster.
More MLB: Full signing details: 2-time Yankees All-Star Gleyber Torres leaving Bronx for Tigers
