“I think there’s so many other things to talk about.” The Pinstripes’ manager, Aaron Boone, remarked when asked about their team’s most underrated shortstop, Gleyber Torres, who is about to hit the free agency market in the coming season. Boone admitted that Torres has been under the radar throughout the entire off-season; however, he highlighted their remarkable trade in the 2023 off-season as the reason behind that. Their acquisition of Juan Soto in December and the bouncing back of athletes like Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Rizzo, and so on stole the limelight from Torres, who has been glowing bright under the cloud.

The 27-year-old shortstop not only excelled in the previous season but also the previous game against the Tampa Bay Rays, demonstrating his prowess on the field. But as he only has a year to prove his impact on the team, will he be able to do so?

Torres swings darted into the field

Gleyber Torres broke out of his spring training homer drought in the bottom of the sixth, launching a line drive over the left-field wall. He finished the day 2-for-3, raising his spring average to .313.

Identifying his potential gap in the previous season, where he ranked second in the American League for all second basemen with 123 wEC+, he adopted a few strategic moves, including his two-strike approach, to become even better in the current season. He has adopted the best possible strategy to convince his team to extend his contract to keep him associated with the team for the rest of his career.

On a similar note, he stated, “I always say, I feel (at) home right now,” indicating his comfort with his current team. Additionally, besides emphasizing his bond with the team’s other players, he remarked, “I know everybody. As a player, you never want to leave your house.”

But at the same time, one cannot deny that, even in 2024, while marching toward the edge of the contract, the team is showcasing lethargy to extend the contract. In a similar context, the team’s general manager and executive, Brian Cashman, stated, “He’s our second baseman for this year. “I haven’t had any conversations about anything past that,” indicating their not-so-ready plan for the shortstop. But what could potentially lead them to take the decision?

Read More: “Highly Motivated” Gleyber Torres Makes His Case in Spring Training, Yankees’ Infielder Eyes New Contract

There is no place for emotion in the business world

Despite Torres’ desperate strive to get associated with the Yankees, he also has showcased a fair understanding of the business matter, which could unfavorably impact his contract extension. Take the ill-fated extensions of Luis Severino and Aaron Hicks, for example. Despite their feeble performance after signing the contract and Hicks’ eventually opting for another team, the Yankees continued to pay him the remaining amount of the contract.

Given such cases, though, there seems barely any hope for the shortstop, but at the same time, the contract extension of Aaron Judge appears as a ray of hope for him. Considering his impact on the team, the Yankees extended an offer to Judge only after he hit the free agency market. Judge’s gamble paid off, leading to one of the greatest walk years and lucrative contracts in baseball history.

Thus, on top of everything, Torres needs to prove his potential this season to get a favorable response from his team, and he is seemingly on his way.

Read More: Yankees’ Gleyber Torres: GM Cashman Discusses His Future in New York