Caleb Durbin, who stands all of 6-foot-4, could play a big role in what the New York Yankees do on the free agent market this winter — and in the American League East next season.

With Gleyber Torres a free agent, the Yankees may need a new second baseman. Durbin showed Saturday night during the Arizona Fall League All-Star Game that he plans to file a job claim. Acquired from the Atlanta Braves in a December 2022 trade, the 24-year-old went 2-for-3. He has a double, a single walk, a stolen base, two RBI and a great defensive play.

“The kid should have been the MVP of the game,” an AL scout said afterward. “He did it all and without him his team wouldn’t have been in a position to win.”

The AL won 6-5 on Thayron Liranzo’s home run in the ninth inning. The majestic blast from 450 feet over the right-field fence earned the Detroit Tigers MVP honors.

“A great home run,” said the scout. “What they call light tower power has been affected so far and for a long time. I love Liranzo. A lot of. I think he’s going to be a good player. But it was one blow. Durbin did much more. To me, that’s more impressive when I’m looking for a guy on my team. Even if he’s not big. He has a big heart.”

Stolen bases gave Durbin 24 in 25 attempts in 22 games this fall. Imagine a jackrabbit like that getting on base in front of sluggers Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton – and most importantly, Juan Soto.

If the Yankees are convinced Durbin can play second, they can take money that could have been spent to keep Torres and add it to a mega offer to keep Soto. With Durbin on base, the titan trio would likely see an extra fastball or two from pitchers worried about the speedy infielder stealing second or even third base.

Obviously, Durbin would have to get on base at a fast enough pace to bring his speed into play. This fall, he walked 16 times and struck out five times. Added to his 2024 season totals, he has 69 walks and 45 whiffs in 111 games. Overall, he went 54-for-58 in steals and hit .279 with 29 doubles, 14 home runs, 83 runs and 76 RBI.

Most of that production came at the Triple-A level, where he worked on his swing to try to get the ball in the air a little more. Call it a mission accomplished, as 11 of his home runs have come in his last 56 games.

Even more impressive, they came back from a two-month absence with a severely bruised right wrist thanks to a wayward high and tight fastball.

Defensively, Durbin is best at second base, although he has played shortstop, third and fourteen error-free games in the outfield. Playing third, his diving stop of a sharp grounder to his left drew cheers from the crowd in the AFL All-Star Game at Sloan Park as he scrambled to his feet and threw to first base for the out.

Caleb Durbin’s lofty goal

Durbin told MLB.com earlier this fall that his lifelong dream of playing in the Majors was really on his mind when he arrived at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre this year.

“I mean that’s why you play the game, it’s to help a major league team at the highest level,” he said. corner, it’s definitely a little more fun to think about because it’s there.

“I definitely want to try to put on a show here and show what I can do.”

To do it in New York, the Yankees must first add him to their 40-man roster or expose him to the Rule 5 Draft. He would almost certainly be selected if the draft takes place during the Winter Meetings in Dallas in December.

Base stealers have once again become attractive to most clubs with new rules limiting pickoff attempts. The Yanks have yet to join the fun and are ranked 12th out of 15 AL teams in 2024.

Yankees table setters

Speedsters who got on base for Yankees sluggers in the past included Mickey Rivers, Brett Gardner, Jacob Ellsbury and the greatest base-stealer of all time, Rickey Henderson.

“Mick The Quick” had 93 steals in 126 attempts for New York from 1976 through mid-1979, getting things started for sluggers Graig Nettles and Reggie Jackson. During his 15-year career with three teams, Rivers had a 75% success rate.

Gardner played his entire 15-year career in New York, starting in 2008. He went 274-for-338, 81%, and helped the Yankees to the postseason ten times.

Ellsbury finished his 11-year career with four seasons in New York, stealing 102 bags in 127 attempts, an 80% rate. Including his first seven years with the Boston Red Sox starting in 2007, he scored 343 in 414 attempts, at an 83% clip.

Henderson went 326-for-383 (85%) in five years in New York, scoring 513 of his all-time record 2,295 runs. More than 25 years in the major league until the age of 44 in 2003. He scored 1,406 in 1,741 attempts, 81%.

And another 5-6 dynamo led the Houston Astros for a decade. Jose Altuve is still going strong at age 34 with 9 post-season trips in 14 years, 3 batting championships, 2 World Series titles, and the 2017 AL MVP Award. That’s largely due to his 315 steals and 229 home runs.

Despite being just a 14th-round draft pick in 2021 out of Division III Washington University in St. Louis, Durbin has 154 steals in 175 attempts in the minors. That 88% rate could help him claim a spot at the top of the Yankees’ batting order in 2025.