Yankees news: Gleyber Torres admits he let trade chatter get to him

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 11: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees walks on the field before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on April 11, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 11: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees walks on the field before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on April 11, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Last season’s trade deadline was mostly smoke and mirrors. One of the names mentioned, however, was New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres. He doesn’t forget.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Torres name was floated in a trade package for Miami Marlins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez. The deal would have included prospect Oswald Peraza, as well. It was an attempt to bolster the Yankees pitching staff.

Instead, the Yankees got cold feet and no deal was reached. Lopez was later traded to the Minnesota Twins for Luis Arraez this past off-season.

For Torres, not knowing where he might call home was stressful, to say the least.

Yankees: Trade talks impacted Gleyber Torres mentally

In a recent Q&A with The Athletic, Torres proclaimed trade talks impacted his confidence at the plate more than anything else. Before the All-Star break, Torres was hitting .268, with a .484 slugging percentage. By the end of August he was down to a .433 slugging percentage and a .242 average.

This past offseason, Torres and the Yankees were able to avoid arbitration, settling on $9.95 million a year, but what will the future hold?

When asked about his future by The Athletic, Torres replied:

"“In the moment, it’s for sure something I think about. During the season, you’re playing with all of your brothers and you hear you almost got traded. It’s really hard, especially when you have the relationships you do with all of the boys. At the end of the day, it’s a business. It is what it is. All I can do is focus more on my game to get better every day and let’s just see what happens in the future.”"

Torres will be a name to watch when it comes to the MLB Trade Deadline, especially with a young prospect like Anthony Volpe who also plays middle infield. Moving forward, Volpe and Peraza clearly have an edge as the future of New York’s infield.

Nonetheless, players like Torres are essential for the Yankees if they are to reach their ultimate goal of winning a World Series this year.

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