The New York Yankees may face a significant roster gap to address this offseason.
While pursuing a long-term deal with free agent Juan Soto, the Yankees might also lose other key players. Chief among them is Gleyber Torres, a two-time All-Star in his seven seasons with the team, who could sign with a new club for the 2025 season.
In his “ideal offseason” projection for *The Athletic*, Chris Kirschner suggested a one-for-one trade with the Chicago Cubs, which would provide the Yankees with a replacement for Torres while trading away a starting pitcher entering his final year of arbitration.
“The Yankees need a second baseman with Gleyber Torres hitting free agency,” Kirschner explained. “Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs are in the market for starting pitching. A one-for-one trade could make sense, with the Yankees acquiring infielder Nico Hoerner. Hoerner is set to earn $11.67 million next season, while Cortes is projected to make $7.7 million in arbitration. Cortes will reach free agency after 2025, whereas Hoerner remains under team control through 2026.”
From a financial perspective, the Cubs might value the payroll flexibility gained by trading Hoerner for Cortes. Despite finishing 2024 with a 3.77 ERA and allowing a game-winning grand slam in his lone World Series relief outing, Cortes is a former All-Star who could serve as a reliable back-end rotation option for Chicago in 2025.
The Yankees might view Hoerner as a considerable upgrade over Torres.
“Hoerner would offer the Yankees significantly better defense and baserunning at second base compared to Torres,” Kirschner noted. “The Yankees are focused on enhancing their fundamentals.”
While Hoerner may lack Torres’ power at the plate, he led the Cubs in hits during the 2024 season with a .273/.335/.373 slash line, outperforming Torres’ .257/.330/.378.
If Torres departs and the Yankees don’t secure a major replacement, prospect Caleb Durbin could step in as the everyday second baseman. However, Hoerner, with a Gold Glove Award and a career .981 fielding percentage over six MLB seasons, would be a far more experienced and reliable choice.
As the Yankees gear up for a World Series run in 2025, having a veteran anchoring second base would likely provide greater confidence.
