One of the big offseason questions for the Yankees is how to proceed with . The veteran second baseman is one year from free agency, for a $15.3MM salary in his final year of arbitration. Thats still solid value for the teams second-best hitter. Torres had a strong 2023 campaign, hitting .273/.347/.453 with 25 home runs acro s 672 plate appearances. With 23-year-old having reached the MLB level, theres a case for the Yankees to move Torres for help elsewhere on the roster. reported on Wednesday that the Yankees had not engaged Torres camp on extension talks. Certainly, its early enough in the winter that they could still do so. Yet there hasnt seemed much urgency on the part of the organization to keep Torres beyond his control window. During 2023 Spring Training, the infielder replied when asked by ESPNs Marly Rivera whether there had been any extension talks before he and the team agreed to a one-year arbitration deal. The absence of an extension doesnt mean the Yankees need to make a trade. They could retain Torres for a final season and potentially make him a qualifying offer next winter. Since theyre likely to exceed the luxury tax in 2024, the compensation pick would presumably fall after the fourth round if Torres declines a QO and signs with another team. New York could find a more valuable return this winter if they feel comfortable with Peraza stepping into an everyday second base role. One potential trade partner: the archrival Red Sox. wrote yesterday that Boston identified Torres as a trade target during the 2023 season. Meanwhile, reports that the Yankees have shown prior interest in Boston right fielder , whom they could again pursue this offseason. Theres Gordie Howe Jersey merit to a potential swap involving Torres and Verdugo. Each is one year from free agency. Verdugo, as a left-handed hitting outfielder who rarely strikes out, is the type of player that Yankees GM Brian Cashman is . The Red Sox have and alongside Verdugo as lefty-swinging outfielders. Bostons first-year chief baseball officer Craig Breslow indicated this week theyve already in Verdugo from other teams. Torres is the better player. Verdugo is coming off a .264/.324/.421 showing and has been a roughly league average hitter in three straight seasons. He has solid grades in right field but isnt a fit in center. Torres has greater positional value as a middle infielder, even if hes not a particularly strong defensive second baseman. That makes Verdugo a little more affordable financially, however. Swartz projects him for a $9.2MM salary, roughly $6MM below the Torres estimate. The difference might not be enough for the Yankees to accept a direct one-for-one swap, but theyre close enough in trade value that its not hard to see the match on paper. It should be noted that Bostons reported interest in Torres this past season came under previous chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. Breslow, hired three weeks ago, may have a different evaluation. With a lackluster second base group headlined by and , the desire for help at the position remains. Breslow indicated this week that the team could look for a second baseman, ideally one who hits from the right side. Bradford writes that some members of the Boston organization still view Torres as a good fit. With middle infield prospects and likely one season from MLB readine s, a veteran bridge at the position aligns with the organizational timeline. The biggest obstacle may just be the acrimony between the organizations. The Red Sox and Yankees are unsurprisingly infrequent trade partners. Theyve lined up on deals just three times in the past 25 years. New York acquired minor league outfielder this past May. The Sox e sentially bought prospect by taking on the contract in 2021. The teams swapped struggling veterans and at the 2014 deadline. A deal involving Verdugo and Torres (or even a trade featuring just one of the two) would be much more notable than any of those transactions. Theres an argument that each player is a better fit for the other teams roster as currently constructed. With both clubs trying to jump from the bottom half of the AL East back to the postseason, its one of various paths they could consider in the weeks to come. Nicklas Lidstrom Jersey