Yankees Rumors: Gleyber Torres-Pablo Lopez Trade Was 'Somewhat Close' Before Deadline

The New York Yankees reportedly pulled out of a trade that would have sent Gleyber Torres to the Miami Marlins for Pablo Lopez before this month's MLB trade deadline.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the two sides were "somewhat close" to striking a deal before the Yankees changed their minds.

The Yankees landed starter Frankie Montas at the deadline from the Oakland Athletics. It's unclear if a trade for Lopez was going to be in addition to the Montas acquisition or if the Yankees pulled out upon reaching an agreement with the Athletics.

Lopez has posted an 8-8 record with a 3.66 ERA and 1.16 WHIP through 25 starts this season. Heyman noted Lopez has been dealing with a "dead arm" throughout August before rebounding with a six-inning gem Tuesday against the Athletics.

Torres was an All-Star his first two MLB seasons before a major regression in 2020 and 2021. He's in the midst of a bounce-back 2022 campaign, hitting .247/.298/.433 with 18 home runs and 50 RBI through 112 appearances. The 18 home runs are six more than he hit combined in the previous two seasons.

Both Lopez and Torres are under team control through the 2024 season.

While it's hard to blame the Yankees for wanting to keep Torres' pop in their middle infield, they're dealing with a hole in their rotation after Nestor Cortes went on the injured list with a groin strain. It's likely the rotation would have been fine if the Yankees hadn't made the oft-criticized Jordan Montgomery-Harrison Bader trade at the deadline—a move that instantly backfired as Montgomery has put together ace-like numbers in St. Louis.

As it stands, the Yankees roster is arguably weaker now than it was before the deadline.