The Yankees' AL East rival could sign Gleyber Torres in free agency

New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres was a big part of his team that made it to the 2024 World Series.

The Yankees' lineup has excelled since Torres took the lead in front of sluggers Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, and his .297 batting average, .832 OPS and 9 runs scored in 9 postseason games this year suggest that Torres could do this is the key to New York winning its World Series title since 2009.

Regardless of how this season ends for the Yankees, Torres will become an unrestricted free agent. While it's clear that his performance in 2024 has increased his value in the market, there hasn't been much speculation about which teams might pursue Torres this offseason.

But Jim Bowden of The Athletic revealed in an Oct. 24 article that he believes another AL East club will likely try to sign him.

“Gleyber Torres wanted to sign a long-term contract with the Yankees, but there were never serious negotiations to keep him in the Bronx for years to come,” Bowden wrote.

“He is a below-average defender at second base with limited range. He hit .257 with 15 home runs and an OPS+ of 101 on the season, but batted over .300 when he was moved to the leadoff spot in September and has performed well in October,” he added.

Bowden then listed the Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays as Torres' top free agency players.

Although it has been widely reported that the Blue Jays will make every effort to sign Juan Soto this offseason, they have not yet been rated as good for Torres.

Yankees fans wouldn't be as upset about a Torres trade to Toronto as they are about Soto. But if the 27-year-old were to leave the Bronx, those fans would certainly prefer he not go to another AL East team.