YANKEES SHORTSTOP PROFESSIONAL

He may very well just be a subpar defender wherever he plays.

It might not matter where you play Torres. Between 2018-2019, he committed 21 errors and cost the team six total runs. Besides, Torres doesn’t exactly become a Gold Glove candidate with a move back to second, either. With their likely well below-average offensive numbers, that would not be of much assistance to the team. If the Yankees shift the infield around, that will also mean that guys like Wade or maybe even Rougned Odor will get more playing time. Further complicating matters is the fact that the last time LeMahieu manned third base at a decent sample size, he registered -2 DRS over 400 innings in 2019.

YANKEES SHORTSTOP PROFESSIONAL

Urshela hasn’t played shortstop since 2018, and in fact has only appeared in 50 games at the position throughout his 12-year professional career. It might actually do more harm than good. If this were to be the case, it really wouldn’t benefit the team, though. New York could shift DJ LeMahieu over to the hot corner, move Torres back to second, and slide Gio Urshela to shortstop. This isn’t extremely ideal, but the Yankees could have their players move out of their everyday positions and mix it up on the infield dirt. Even if the Yanks do keep Torres on the left side of the infield, they could still think about removing him late in close games and running someone like Tyler Wade out there as a defensive replacement. This is most straightforward choice, and it’s certainly logical. That roll of the dice surely will come with its risks, but as we look at the other options the team has, they will all require taking a chance and crossing your fingers. It is a valid point that Torres has yet to play a true 162-game season at the position, so perhaps he just needs to get used to it again, and the familiarity will bring some stability. If the Yankees really believe he can be their franchise shortstop - both offensively and defensively - they need to lock him in and give him as many reps as possible. Remember, not only is the season young, but so is he. The first option is simple: keep Torres at short and hope he can figure himself out. So what should New York do about the situation if his shaky play continues? They have a few choices. But alas, after just 54 innings in the field, the 24-year-old has already cost his team two runs, and it could only get worse from here.

This is obviously something that the Yankees might not have thought they would need to pay attention to so early in the season. Would he be able to improve his glove at a premium position after a lackluster 2020? Through his 1,188.1 career innings at short and his -16 DRS over that span, Torres has not yet proven that he can man the position. However, another concern shared by many around baseball was the defense of Gleyber Torres at shortstop. These early issues are normal, especially after playing only six games. Although it’s extremely early in the year, it’s the offense that has stalled at times and been the concern, while the pitching has been nothing less than lights out. The offense is pretty stacked from top-to-bottom, so no one batted an eye. Coming into the 2021 season, numerous fans and writers had concerns over the Yankees’ starting rotation, and even the bullpen to an extent.

Yankees shortstop