Healthy Gleyber ready for spring
Throughout the off season, Yankees general manager Brian Cash man has said Gleyber Torres would come into spring training with a chance of winning an everyday job.
Now, the 21-year-old is about to get his tryout.
“I’m super excited,’’ Torres told MLB.com Monday in Tampa, where he spent much of the winter rehabbing from the injury to his non-throwing elbow that resulted in Tommy John surgery and ended his 2017 season.
“Right now, I feel pretty good. Last year, I missed a lot of months of my season, but now I’m excited to come to work and make sure my arm and everything feels right — 100 percent again — and play the game.”
The spotlight will be on Torres, as well as Miguel Andujar, during camp — especially if the Yankees don’t bring in another veteran player to compete for the second or third base job.
For now, they have Jace Peterson and Danny Espinosa on minor league deals, but more proven veterans such as Neil Walker and Eduardo Nunez remain available in this historically slow-moving free-agent market.
A reunion with Frazier is still a possibility, but the 31-year-old is seeking a multi-year deal, which may not suit the Yankees’ needs.
The team remains determined to stay under the $197 million luxurytax threshold, and the presence of prospects like Torres, who opened
eyes during spring training last year and may have had an opportunity to reach the majors later in the season, along with Andujar, is a key reason Hal Steinbrenner has been adamant about being able to reset their tax base and still get back to the playoffs.
Last spring, Torres went 13-for-29 with nine extra-base hits, looking very much like the player the Yankees were hoping they got when he came from the Cubs in 2016 as the main return for Aroldis Chapman.
He followed the strong spring with a solid start with Double-A Trenton, quickly earning a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/WilkesBarre after 32 games.
Torres hit well at SWB, with an .863 OPS in 96 plate appearances, before he got hurt on a hook slide into home plate on June 17.
The Yankees finalized their coaching staff under new manager Aaron Boone on Monday.
Josh Bard will be the bench coach, Phil Nevin the third-base coach and Reggie Willits will be the first-base coach and outfield instructor. Carlos Mendoza will be the quality control coach / infield instructor. Marcus Thames was bumped up to hitting coach, replacing Alan Cockrell. P.J. Pilittere was named assistant hitting coach and Jason Brown catching coach.
Larry Rothschild, as previously announced, will be back as pitching coach, as will bullpen coach Mike Harkey. Brett Weber will also return as coaching assistant/ instant replay coordinator.