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Monday, July 25, 2016

So who the hell is Gleyber Torres, and should we be rooting for the Yankees to get him?

The Internet/Twitterverse/lie machine says Gleyber Torres - (yep, Gleyber, who does that to a kid?) - a 19-year-old Cubs' minor league SS, is the supreme bejeweled payoff for giving Theo Epstein the chess piece that can finally bring a World Championship to the Wrigley end of Chicago - courtesy of Hal Steinbrenner's ineptitude.

In the high A Carolina league, the Venezuelan Torres is currently hitting .275 with 9 HRs and 19 stolen bases. He bats RH and would be the second Cubs infielder sent to NY this year because of the young talent overload at the mother ship. This is what happens when teams systematically retool - they end up in first place with prospects to trade. Between now and August 1, let's hope the Yankees deal away more high-contract bloat than merely Aroldis Chapman, the third closer on a team that seldom closes. If you heard Suzyn Waldman's pre-game show yesterday, she practically pitched in the towel on 2016, describing the wisdom behind a trade or two, and asking listeners if they really believe this team is World Series caliber. She doesn't, and I doubt John disagrees. They don't disagree on much.

Obviously, we have no inside source on this deal, and it could be another Hillary email of misinformation - (seriously, Cashman almost never flags a trade before it happens) - but Torres was scratched from yesterday's lineup, a move widely believed as confirming his new destiny.

If it's true, Torres brings to NY a Mel Kiper-esque rankings pedigree: He's listed as the Cubs No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline - and he's No. 24 overall in baseball on that site. This would make him immediately our highest rated prospect. (Jorge Mateo, with his recent attitude adjustment, is ranked 26th, though he ranks first in Yankee hype.)

Torres signed with Chicago at age 16 and has hit about .290 at every level. (His MILB career average is .285.) He bats second, strikes out a bit too often, and - thus far this season - hits righties better than lefties. He's 6'1," which means he could fill out and hit HRs. He's probably three years away. I'm already thinking of 2020, when Didi would move to third. (Mateo has already been moved to 2B, and their other once-high SS hopes - Cito Culver and Kyle Holder, both first-round picks - also are playing other positions, suggesting they've been relegated to future utility roles - ugh.)

Last winter, we gave up two decent prospects for El Chapo (plus two organizational lug nuts). Neither made any Top 100 lists, if that's what floats your boat. I think the rankings are parlor games, but you have to be concerned. For example, Boston has three prospects ranked even higher than Torres - one being Yoan Moncada, Hal's ultimate crime. Yes, these rankings are crapola. But sometimes, when everybody says it's raining, it's raining. .

This still could be the worst Yankee decade in history, the lowest ebb for a once-great franchise. We've quietly ditched Hal's once-strident notion that the Yankees must contend every season. We're facing a team that could easily fall apart and lose 85 games. It's time for the front office to show guts and do what's right. And by that, I mean by trading other pieces, including CC, Tex, Gardner and even the great and mighty Carlos Beltran. Suzyn knows it. Cashman knows it. Everybody knows it. Gleyber Torres? Bring him over. It's time to break glass.

7 comments:

Local Bargain Jerk said...


And by that, I mean by trading other pieces, including CC, Tex, Gardner and even the great and mighty Carlos Beltran. Suzyn knows it. Cashman knows it. Everybody knows it.

Everybody?

I'm thinking there are two who don't know: First, there's that lumpy guy with Trump-colored ringlets. The other is that guy who rides around on thoroughbred ponies with his pants pockets inside out to call attention to his abject poverty.

JM said...

Yeah, LBJ, those guys.

In fact, ESPN is reporting that the hold-up with the Chapman deal is Hal, who has to sign off on it and seems to be dithering.

Dither, dither.

The deal doesn't seem that incredibly great for us, anyway. We could use a good young starter. Emphasis on 'good.'

Alphonso said...

The deal with Chapman is dead. The Cubs, or the Nationals, traded the chip in whom we had interest.

Dither.

Alphonso said...

Perfect. Let's get another Cito Culver.

Someone to back up DIDI....who turned out to be the one decent ballplayer we have.

Don't fill an obvious hole in the line-up. Add some more filler.

Waste the trade on someone you will never need, but perhaps trade ( again ) in the future.

When the value is decimated.

Idiots.

el duque said...

I'm not sure what to make of this. I think there would be more coming from the Cubs, and maybe another Yankee. I sure can't evaluate a prospect.

Here's how I see it: If you trade a guy to team for prospects, and you get their top prospect - which is what this kid is - that's a decent starting point. As for Didi being in his way, if he can play SS, he can play anywhere. (And at 6'1", that includes first base.)

Anonymous said...

YEARS AGO, THE DETROIT LIONS IN FOOTBALL, AND MATT MILLEN, KEPT GETTING THE NUMBER ONE PICK YEAR AFTER YEAR BECAUSE THEY KEPT FINISHING LAST.....INSTEAD OF ADDRESS WHAT POSITIONS THE TEAM REALLY NEEDED, THEY KEPT TAKING THE NFL AND THE MEDIA'S #1 RANKED PLAYER, "THE BEST ATHLETE" IN THE DRAFT EVERY YEAR..... JUST SO HAPPENED THE NUMBER ONE PICK THEY KEPT TAKING YEAR AFTER YEAR WAS A GREAT "ATHLETIC" WIDE RECEIVER.....THEY JUST KEPT DRAFTING RECEIVERS.....AS THE YEARS WENT BY, THE LIONS JUST KEPT SUCKING WORSE AND WORSE............. SOUND A LITTLE FAMILIAR? WE KEEP GETTING, AND STOCKPILING SHORTSTOPS!...... WE HAVE DIDI WHO LOOKS LIKE HE IS FOR REAL, PLUS JORGE MATEO IN THE WINGS..... WE ALSO HAVE TYLER WADE...WE ALSO HAVE KYLE HOLDER.. (NOT TO MENTION THE GREAT CITO CULVER)....NOW WE ARE GETTING GLEYBER TORRES........ WTF IS GOING ON WITH ALL THE SHORTSTOPS?????.... ANOTHER THING I CAN'T STAND IS SWITCHING MANY OF THESE MINOR LEAGUERS POSITIONS....... I NOTICED THIS SEASON, MATEO WAS PLAYING GREAT EARLY ON, THEN THEY DECIDED TO MOVE HIM TO 2ND, I THINK THEY EVEN PUT HIM AT 3RD A COUPLE TIMES, DH'ed HIM A FEW TIMES, THEN ON OCCASION, BACK TO SHORTSTOP...... HE REGRESSED, BIG TIME.......... IT'S LIKE THE YANKEES HAVE BECOME A TEAM THAT REQUIRES EVERY PLAYER TO PLAY ALL 9 POSITIONS ON THE FIELD, (EVEN IF YOU PLAY 7 OF THE POSITIONS LIKE SHIT)....... THE NEW THEORY SEEMS TO BE "IF YOU CAN PLAY SHORTSTOP, YOU CAN PLAY ANYWHERE".....BUT LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO MATEO........ NOT NECESSARILY.

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