When the New York Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the trade deadline in 2024, it caused a little bit of drama within the clubhouse. Chisholm is primarily a second baseman and that is where the Yankees intended for him to play. But Gleyber Torres was not too fond of that plan.

Torres identified himself as a second baseman, openly sharing his unwillingness to move to another position. Chisholm was able to adjust and play third base just fine but keeping Torres at second base was not letting Aaron Boone maximize his roster to reach their full potential. Now with Torres gone, it sure sounds like the Yankees feel a little more comfortable.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insider podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.

Jazz Chisholm, Yankees teammates don’t miss Gleyber Torres at all

Gleyber Torres is experiencing a change of scenery for the first time in his career. After seven years with the Yankees and two all-star seasons, Torres is now a member of the Detroit Tigers. This was the best-case scenario for Torres, considering the situation he experienced with the Yankees in 2024. It also sounds like Jazz Chisholm is implying that taking Torres off the roster has made the Yankees better.

With the addition of Paul Goldshmidt and Chisholm moving back to his natural position, the Yankees infield is going to have a new look in 2025. According to Chisholm, the middle infield that consists of himself and Anthony Valpe is the best in the league. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com shared Chisholm’s strong opinions on X.

“I think we could be the best shortstop-second baseman in the league, definitely defensively. And I think we are probably going to turn more double plays in the league too. That would be my prediction for us,” Chisholm said.

The firepower offense the Yankees possess will continue to be their calling card in 2025. However, after coming off a season where their biggest concern was defense, it has to be refreshing for Yankees fans to hear that confidence is rising in that area.