It was a matter of when, not if, Torres would take Castro’s job. Despite the trade being a slam dunk for the Yankees, what if there was a younger, better, cheaper outfielder from the Marlins that was also available at the time?

see more

PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 22: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the Miami Marlins talks with teammate Christian Yelich #21 in the on-deck circle prior to an at bat against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 22, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

In 2017, Yelich was coming off of a solid age-25 season. He had slashed .282/.369/.439 with 18 homers, and had been remarkably consistent over his first five seasons. He hit at least .280 every year with an on base percentage of .