Yankees keep changing faces but the infield dysfunction is on the front office originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Just maybe the problem wasn’t Gleyber Torres. The Yankees didn’t just let Torres walk out the door as a free agent last winter. They saddled him with the blame on the way out the door.
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When Jazz Chisholm Jr. was acquired last season, the front office needed to make a decision: where would he play? The Yankees asked Gleyber to move from second to third. He wasn’t comfortable with it and said so.
Suddenly, Torres was selfish and hurting Chisholm and the team.
Now, Torres is having one of the best seasons of his career in Detroit and was just named the starting second baseman for the American League All-Star team. Meanwhile, Chisholm is still playing third base for the Yankees. And let’s be honest, he’s still struggling to do it.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
So maybe it’s time we stop pretending this was Gleyber’s failure and ask why is history repeating itself this year with Chisholm and DJ LeMahieu.
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And maybe it’s time we talk about Brian Cashman.
Because while fans take aim at LeMahieu, assuming, with no direct quote to back it up, that he’s refusing to play anywhere but second, there have been reports that it’s the front office that wants Chisholm at third base.
We’ve even heard from reporters that the Yankees wanted to keep Jazz at third because it might be easier to trade for a second baseman.
So, let’s call it what it really is. This a roster construction failure.
Gleyber Torres wasn’t the problem.
He’s now thriving, loose and productive, finally free of the weight that seemed to hang over him in the Bronx. So now, Jazz is out of position again. The infield is unbalanced and there’s no easy fix. If the Yankees trade for a third baseman and move Chisholm back to second, will the Yankees designate LeMahieu for assignment with another year left on his six-year, $90 million deal? Because they cannot cut Oswald Peraza without another backup shortstop coming in.
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Maybe the front office should stop blaming players for their discomfort and start asking why they keep building uncomfortable fits. Maybe the fans should understand this isn’t on the players.
Because what’s happening at third base right now? That’s not on Gleyber. That’s not Chisholm and it’s not LeMahieu.
That’s on Cashman.
Related: Yankees Manager Hints at Potential Infield Shake-Up After Brutal Loss
Related: Aaron Judge’s Perfect Answer to Yankees’ June Swoon Shuts Down Critics
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
