Gleyber Torres' chances to return to the Bronx shut down by Yankees insider

The New York Yankees still could stand to add a starting second baseman in free agency and Gleyber Torres might be the top option available on the open market. That does not mean fans in New York should be preparing to see Torres don pinstripes for one more season.

Team insider Jack Curry acknowledges that there have been rumors connecting Torres with a sensational return to the team but he does not expect them to come to fruition.

Instead, it seems much more likely that general manager Brian Cashman will go with a player already on his current roster to start 2025 as the team's starter at the middle infield spot opposite Anthony Volpe.

Yankees insider rules out Gleyber Torres returning in 2025

Jazz Chisholm will almost certainly start at either second or third come Opening Day. He played the hot corner for manager Aaron Boone for most of last season but he is a more natural middle infielder. Whether Chisholm starts at second or third largely depends on how Cashman fills out the back end of his roster via free agency.

The most likely options to play third base other than Chisholm are Oswaldo Cabrera or DJ LeMahieu. Cabrera is better served as a utility player who can bounce around the diamond and give his teammates occasional rest. Officials in New York hope that LeMahieu can bounce back from his disastrous 2024 campaign but he was unplayable last season. Expecting him to start every day at third base is more of a hope than a plan for the Yankees.

While Torres is a flawed option for the Yankees at second base he might actually be the best offensive option available to strengthen Boone's infield. He still isn't coming back to the Bronx. The team may be tired of his inconsistent play and spotty effort. They simply don't believe he's worth the contract he'll command in free agency. Torres is set to leave the Yankees for greener pastures despite their hole at second base.