Why Gleyber Torres doesn’t blame the Yankees for being hesitant to extend him

TAMPA, Fla. — Gleyber Torres knows where he wants to spend the rest of his career. He can feel it in his bones. But he understands if the Yankees are apathetic to his feelings. At the end of the day, it's a business, Torres has reminded himself.

"I don't want to leave from here," Torres said Wednesday standing in front of his locker. "I feel at home right now. I know everybody. My brothers — family here. I want to be a Yankee for life."

Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Aaron Boone aren't the only Yankees with contracts expiring at the end of the year. Torres is also preparing to enter free agency at the end of this season. The second baseman hopes the Yankees will reach out to him about a contract extension before that juncture, but he's not exactly expecting it. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said last week that he has not discussed a contract extension with Torres. The only commitment from Cashman was an ominous acknowledgment that Torres is the second baseman "for this year." 

Torres, though, is seeking a long-term deal in New York.

"I don't blame [Cashman] and I don't blame the organization for no talks about an extension," Torres said. "Because, unfortunately, in the past couple of years, we've got a couple of extensions, like Sevy [Luis Severino] and also Hicksy [Aaron Hicks], and unfortunately they got injuries and many things.

"I feel at home right now. I know this organization from 2016. I feel good. I know everybody. As a player, you never want to leave from your house. Now I'm in a good spot. I know it's a free-agent year, but I don't think too much about that. Just play better and help my team. After the season, I hope to get a conversation with the team. If not, let's see what happens in the future."

Torres described the club's previous contract extensions with Severino and Hicks, to which he had a front-row seat, as harbingers of his current situation. 

Back in February 2019, the Yankees signed Severino to a four-year, $40 million contract extension with a $15 million club option for a fifth season that the team wound up enacting. The deal looked like a no-brainer at the time. Severino was coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons and had yet to celebrate his 25th birthday. He finished third and ninth in Cy Young voting in 2017 and 2018, respectively. He compiled 342 innings over that two-year stretch, made 63 starts, posted a 3.18 ERA and registered a 1.092 WHIP. 

Severino wasn't just excellent, he was consistent. His contract extension, at the time, was being compared to that of Aaron Nola, who also signed a four-year, $45 million pact with the Phillies in February 2019. Flash forward, and Nola's seven-year, $172 million extension this offseason is still a good comparison of what the Yankees expected Severino to earn. Instead, the right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery and, due to a long rehab and various injuries, was limited to just 108 innings and 19 starts from 2019 to 2022. The Yankees let him walk away after a disastrous 2023 season (6.65 ERA, 18 starts, 89.1 innings), and Severino signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Mets worth $13 million. 

"When he signed the extension, he was in the prime of his career," Torres said of Severino. "But unfortunately, he got a couple of injuries and now he's with another team. Unfortunately, as a business plan, it's not (great) to get an extension and get injured, I don't think it's good for anybody.

"When you play for the Yankees, it's special. It's an honor to play with the pinstripes, and for sure I don't think any player in the locker room wants to leave. It's just like a special place here, and I [have known] everybody for a long time. But at the end of the day, it's a business. I hope Sevy has a really good year with the Mets, and myself, have a really good year here and stay for a long time."

Torres compared his situation to Aaron Judge's, noting how the Yankees didn't extend the slugger but did "the right thing" by signing him to a nine-year, $360 contract after he explored the market. Judge, however, was not only an established superstar but had already received an offer from the Yankees before he entered free agency. Torres has yet to engage the Yankees in extension talks. 

It has long seemed like Torres could benefit from playing outside the Bronx, where he has received criticism at times for not playing to his potential and lacking focus on defense. Torres, too, has heard for years now his name being dangled by the Yankees' front office as a potential trade chip, only to remain an asset in the Bombers' aging lineup. 

"He's a guy we count on a lot," Boone said of Torres. "A lot of talk is about bringing in Juan, and Alex and Trent [Grisham], and what we think the offense can look like this year. For me, it kind of gets swept under the rug a little bit, is Gleyber. I think in the middle of this lineup, behind those guys, I'm really excited to see what he's going to do. I think he's the guy that maybe some people aren't talking about enough of what he can be — one of those linchpins in the middle of the order." 

Boone believes Torres has matured at the plate and was better in 2023 than his traditional numbers (.273/.347/.453, 25 home runs, 68 RBI) might suggest. His 123 wRC+ ranked sixth-best among second basemen across MLB, and his 3.2 fWAR was topped only by his 2019 campaign when he belted 38 home runs (which, judging by that season's league-wide spike in offense, was likely aided by a juiced ball). Where the seventh-year veteran stands to improve most is on defense, an area of Torres' game that, to the eye and by the numbers, has worsened in recent years. How he responds to Boone's challenge could impact his future. As it is, the organization has Oswald Peraza ready and waiting to replace Torres at second base. 

"I can't lie, yeah, I think sometimes it's going to be my last year here because I don't know what's the business plan next year," the 27-year-old Torres said. "It's just like, worry about myself. Just can control playing better."

It's true, the only thing Torres can control about his future is how well he plays in 2024. Projection systems expect the second baseman to match or improve his 2023 production in most offensive categories. A strong season should set him up nicely for a bigger pay day, but the Yankees also have Soto to worry about, the latter negotiation potentially spilling into the range of $500 million. Fortunately for Torres, he'll be the young star in a weak 2025 class that features Brandon Drury as the only other free agent second baseman without club or player options attached.

So, while it's fair to forecast Torres landing a lucrative multiyear deal, it just might not come from the Yankees.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.