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Chicago Cubs: Who won the Aroldis Chapman for Gleyber Torres Trade?

By Patrick Sheldon

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 30: Aroldis Chapman #54 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game Five of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 30: Aroldis Chapman #54 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game Five of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Chicago Cubs New York Yankees Gleyber Torres
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Torres Dazzling in the Bronx

The start of Gleyber Torres’ New York Yankees career was disappointing, to say the least. Although he was unlikely to supplant Chase Headley as the starting third-baseman in 2017, he never really got the chance. In June of that year, Torres injured his left elbow sliding head-first into home. Torres eventually underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season.

When the 2018 season began, the Yankees were careful not to get fan’s hopes up. Had they known what Torres would do so far this season, perhaps they would have thrown caution to the wind and gotten in the driver’s seat of the Gleyber Torres hype train.

The Yankees called up Torres from AAA in late April. Since that time, through 26 games Torres is hitting .330 with seven home runs and 19 RBI. With each passing game, the 21-year-old is achieving feats that are having him mentioned in the same breath as Mickey Mantle. 

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/998729598920687622

Not only has Torres been crushing it at the plate, but he has been very good defensively, solidifying the second base position. Oh, and in case I failed to mention, he bats ninth in the Yankees lineup. Additionally, his ability to make the switch to second base has opened up a spot for Miguel Andujar (another top Yankees prospect) to shine at third base.

In this regard, the Yankees are in a very similar position to the 2016 Chicago Cubs. In just two short years, the Yankees have reloaded their farm system and are now stacked with infield prospects that could be used to trade for a starting pitcher for the stretch run. That is certainly one argument for the Yankees winning this trade. In other words, the acquisition and success of Torres give them the flexibility to trade other prospects.

However, the main reason the Yankees could be considered the winners of this trade is that they have a future star on their hands. Torres is the second baseman of the future — a future which will probably include multiple All-Star appearances. As it stands today, he is giving Shohei Ohtani some serious competition for American League Rookie of the Year. The future for Torres is as bright as the lights in the Bronx, and the Yankees are one of the favorites to win the World Series just two years removed from the deal. For those reasons, the Yankees have to feel like the real winners.

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