Ask BA: Would You Choose Gleyber Torres or Eloy Jimenez?

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Q: All things considered, if the Yankees could have chosen between Eloy Jimenez and Gleyber Torres for the Aroldis Chapman trade, what might have given Torres the edge in the Yankees eyes?

Marcus Zappia
@marcuszappia

BA:If reports are correct that the Yankees could chose either Jimenez or Torres to anchor the four-player package that landed Chapman, they were faced with a fascinating choice.

Torres and Jimenez have been linked since they were the cornerstones of the Cubs’ massive international spending spree in 2013. Chicago spent $2.8 million for Jimenez and $1.7 million to land Torres as Chicago’s 2013 international class easily exceeded the team’s bonus slots.

Torres broke out as a prospect in 2015. He hit .293/.353/.386 for low Class A South Bend as one of the youngest players in the Midwest League and even earned a late-season promotion to high Class A Myrtle Beach.

Jimenez had to wait one further year to emerge, but he’s been one of the stars of the Midwest League in 2016. He’s hitting .330/.370/.522 for South Bend and was one of the stars of the Futures Game as he homered and made a fearless catch down the right field line.

Both rank among the better prospects in baseball. Torres ranked 27th in our Midseason Top 100 while Jimenez ranked 46th.

If you’re asking who has a better chance to become a star, the answer is Jimenez. Jimenez has the size, strength and power potential that could see him end up as a middle-of-the-lineup stalwart. His frame and present power make it easier to project him as a future 25-30 home run slugger.

But if you’re asking who is the safer bet to be a big league regular, the answer is Torres. Where Jimenez will bring little value defensively—he’s a left fielder who might be able to stretch to fill right field—Torres is a shortstop, one who most scouts believe will be able to stay at the position. So if Jimenez is going to be a useful regular, he has to hit for significant power.

Torres doesn’t have nearly as high a bar to clear to be a productive everyday player. If Torres comes close to reaching the average hit/average power he is projected to have, he’ll be a very productive regular.

So what gives Torres the edge is his increased defensive value, and a slightly better hit tool, but it was surely a difficult decision for the Yankees.