MLB rumors: Yankees/Red Sox trade, Chapman split with Blue Jays, big-name Counsell replacement

Red Sox want Gleyber Torres... Would Yankees really make such a deal?

According to Rob Bradford of WEEI in Boston, the Yankees and Red Sox could swap key players, creating a surprising change of teams for two young players who have become notable icons within their respective franchises.

Bradford reports that a trade centered on Gleyber Torres going to Boston and the Red Sox sending the Yankees Alex Verdugo is expected to come back into discussion this winter.

Boston just hired Craig Breslow as its new lead executive, and trading Torres would surely be a big splash to kick off his tenure in Boston. Verdugo caught plenty of flak in 2023 for apparent lack of initiative and engagement in Boston, showing up late to team busses and appearing to be benched as discipline by manager Alex Cora.

Bradford suggests some in the Red Sox organization view Torres as a stable fill-in at second base for the franchise. Torres, at times, can be error-prone defensively and ice-cold on offense. He is typically prone to at least one substantial offensive slump a season.

Since his sophomore season when he batted in 90 runs, Torres has only eclipsed 70 in one season. That said, maybe dimensions would be favorable to help him get going. Last year, Torres's .953 OPS at Fenway Park was the best OPS in any ballpark that he played at least five games.

Verdugo similarly has struggled in recent years. Disciplinary issues aside, he's been an average batter the last three seasons after showing possible elite status in 2020. He is a plus in left field, though, at least per outs above average, a position the Yankees have struggled to find consistency in the last several seasons.

Neither Verdugo or Torres feel like game-changing returns for either the Yankees or Red Sox, but both players feel like possible beneficiaries from a change of scenery. It would still be weird to hear either player admired by the fans who have hated them for years, though.