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The Yankees might finally have some infield clarity for 2023.

Brendan Kuty, now with The Athletic, reports super-utility man DJ LeMahieu feels “significantly better” after rehabbing a toe injury suffered last year. New York would love for the two-time batting champion to be back in top form at the top of the lineup.

So who’s the odd infielder out? Well, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal adds while the Yankees would prefer to move Josh Donaldson and his $29 million salary, moving Gleyber Torres is more likely. As of now, Torres and the Yankees are headed to arbitration. He has asked for $10.2 million, New York has countered with $9.7 million.

Is Torres a popular Yankee? Yes, but he’s probably not going to be around for the long-term future. He has two years of arbitration left, the bat and glove have peaked, and both Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe await. Fans will recall the Yankees almost dealt Torres to the Marlins last trade deadline for this very reason.

Lucky for general manager Brian Cashman, Torres rebounded well enough in 2022 with a .257 batting average and 24 home runs. His trade value is probably as high as it’s going to be. If the Yankees are serious about moving him, the following teams could prove strong fits for Torres.

Arizona Diamondbacks. The Snakes look set in their middle infield with Ketel Marte and a tandem of Nick Ahmed and Geraldo Perdomo. However, neither Ahmed nor Perdomo are threats with the bat and Marte’s fielding at second is a liability. Torres could be an automatic improvement over all three.

Granted, Torres isn’t a great fielder to begin with and really struggles at shortstop. But Arizona needs an upgrade that badly and someone like Torres not only fits team needs, but draws fans to the stadium. There’s also the possibility that offering Torres could help the Yankees unload Phoenix native Aaron Hicks, but that’s another story.

Chicago White Sox. Infield turnover is Chicago-bound, and fast. Tim Anderson could be a free agent next offseason. Yoan Moncada’s deal also expires in 2024. This paves the way for prospects Colson Montgomery and Leyn Sosa.

The problem is as of now, the White Sox have a hole at second base that needs filling. Leury Garcia is a utility infielder who shouldn’t be starting on any team, so here is an opportunity for Torres. Again, he only has two years of control remaining. He’d fit in Chicago while Montgomery and Sosa develop.

Pittsburgh Pirates. It’d be almost too easy for the Yankees to strike a deal with the Pirates. They have plenty of young talent they won’t want to pay down the road. Furthermore, infield prospects Liover Peguero and Nick Gonzales are at least a year away from debuting.

In adding Torres, the Pirates can stick him at second base and shift Rodolfo Castro to a better-suited utility role. Furthermore, fans would come to PNC Park in droves to watch a former Yankee who’s now their own. Plus, when Peguero and/or Gonzales are ready next season, Torres’ expiring contract can be traded easily.

Seattle Mariners. A deal with Seattle is realistic, if only because Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported in November that the Mariners like Torres. The problem is they’ve already traded for Kolten Wong and JP Crawford seems to have shortstop locked down. It doesn’t help that Crawford’s glove went south last year and he isn’t much of a hitter, plus the $41 million he’s owed through 2026.

So where does that leave Seattle? Well, Wong posted a -13 outs above average (OAA) at second base last year. Torres wasn’t much better at -1. Yet, perhaps the Mariners view Wong as an everyday utility infielder a la LeMahieu and are ready to move on from Dylan Moore. It’d be tough to pull off, but a motivated Cashman and Jerry DiPoto could absolutely agree to a deal for Torres, perhaps for Moore and some bullpen help.

Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew seems motivated to add this offseason, having already traded for Jesse Winker. There’s still a gaping hole at second base and one that Torres can fill. No disrespect to Owen Miller, but he’s a utility infielder at best.

But Torres in Milwaukee just makes sense. His two years of team control are an opportunity for him to earn a long-term deal with the team. In turn, this sets him up for a future as shortstop prospect Brice Turang’s double play partner. The Brewers are loaded with young talent so if the Yankees are serious about dealing Torres, Milwaukee should be Cashman’s first call.

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Josh Benjamin has been a staff writer at ESNY since 2018. He has had opinions about everything, especially the Yankees and Knicks. He co-hosts the “Bleacher Creatures” podcast and is always looking for new pieces of sports history to uncover, usually with a Yankee Tavern chicken parm sub in hand.