Let’s do a little detective work. Let’s use the clues being dropped by the Yankees late this season to ask questions and see if we can, at the least, begin to build cases about their near future, such as: 

An intrigue of October will be how much the Yankees run away from Chapman and the Dodgers shrink from Craig Kimbrel. Those two, along with Kenley Jansen, are the preeminent relievers of the past decade. But though Jansen remains a high-level closer with Atlanta, Chapman and Kimbrel give off the whiff of once-elite gunslingers who have lost their confidence — and more importantly, especially for Chapman, whose teams have lost confidence in them. 

In 1996, Graeme Lloyd had a 17.47 ERA in 13 Yankees games and in 2009 Damaso Marte had a 9.45 ERA in 21 games. The Yankees put both lefties on the postseason rosters. And both excelled in October as key reasons why those Yankees teams won championships. So it is possible that his left-handedness and his stuff could convince the Yankees to put Chapman on the roster. 

If Zack Britton returns well from Tommy John surgery, Chapman’s postseason spot would be greater imperiled. Britton pulled himself Saturday from a Single-A rehab appearance, but told The Post’s Dan Martin it was just a cramp and not serious. A healthy Britton would give the Yanks three lefty relievers with Lucas Luetge and Wandy Peralta.

It is doubtful all the key pitchers will be healthy – Chapman actually went on the IL on Saturday due to an infection from a leg tattoo, the Yankees said. If the Yanks reached full health, I would think the Yankee rotation would be Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes and Frankie Montas. That would leave Domingo German and Jameson Taillon in play as relief options along with Britton, Chapman, Luetge, Peralta, Scott Effross, Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loaisiga, Ron Marinaccio, Clarke Schmidt and Lou Trivino (I assume even if healthy, Albert Abreu and/or Miguel Castro, would not be taken over Chapman, nor would the recently promoted Greg Weissert).

That almost certainly won’t happen, but if all the pitchers were healthy, I would think the Yankees’ rotation would be Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes and Frankie Montas. That would leave Domingo German and Jameson Taillon in play as relief options, along with Britton, Chapman, Luetge, Peralta, Scott Effross, Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loaisiga, Ron Marinaccio, Clarke Schmidt and Lou Trivino. (I assume even if healthy, Albert Abreu and Miguel Castro, would not be taken over Chapman, nor would the recently promoted Greg Weissert). 

Still, that is 12 options for, at most, nine relief spots, perhaps just eight — and eight would become more of a factor if Matt Carpenter can make it back as a hitter for the postseason. Chapman already has lost his leverage, late-inning role. Will he lose his position altogether before heading into free agency with a class that, among others, will include Jansen and Kimbrel? 

This seems certain: The Yankees have had two postseasons determined by homers hit against Chapman. They simply can’t position themselves to let that happen again, unless injuries create no other choice. 

He was going to be a key piece if the Yankees had completed a trade with the Marlins for Pablo Lopez at the deadline. 

Torres has had a better year than he did the past two seasons, after returning to be the regular second baseman. But he still had a sub-.300 on-base percentage, he can mentally check out of games at times, and in 2022 he has really struggled in the clutch and with extended ineffectiveness. 

Torres will be due around $10 million next year and will have two years of control before free agency. The Yankees have stubbornly held on to a bunch of hitters through the years — such as Miguel Andujar, Clint Frazier and Gary Sanchez — only for their trade values to plummet. At this point, even interested teams might wait to see whether the Yankees tender Torres a contract or if they think the $10 million-ish can be used differently? 

Those teams will see that the Yankees brought up Oswaldo Cabrera, and he has not looked overmatched. They traded neither Oswald Peraza nor Anthony Volpe at the trade deadline. They still have Isiah Kiner-Falefa and DJ LeMahieu. That gives them middle infield personnel, especially since 2023 feels to be the time when Peraza and Volpe (barring trades) should be worked onto the major league roster. 

There are other issues, of course, to what the Yankees’ infield will look like, such as: Can the Yankees redirect the $30 million owed Josh Donaldson in 2023 salary and 2024 buyout by taking on another contract or eating some money? Will Carpenter be re-signed? Will Anthony Rizzo opt in to his $16 million 2023 option or sign an extension? And will the club chase a big shortstop, such as Carlos Correa or Trea Turner? 

But even in some combination with other decisions, Torres’ Yankees future is tenuous. 

The Yankees obviously have another free-agent outfielder (Aaron Judge) to prioritize. But Aaron Hicks has played himself into being an expensive fourth outfielder or salary-dump trade. Each time Andujar or Estevan Florial is promoted, the Yankees quickly reverse the decision due to lack of production. Their better outfield prospects — Jasson Dominguez and Everson Pereira — won’t be major league factors to begin the 2023 season. 

The best non-Judge free-agent outfielder is probably Brandon Nimmo, who would cost considerably more than Benintendi, or Mitch Haniger, who is oft-injured, considerably older and right-handed. That last part is important since the Yankees risk becoming overly right-handed again with Hicks falling into a non-playing role, Benintendi, Carpenter and Rizzo all potential free agents, and Harrison Bader (under control through next year) a righty bat. 

Benintendi is not a center fielder and lacks power, so he will not command substantial dollars. I think his low end will be three years at $36 million. If he finishes strong (including the playoffs) can that get him to four years at $60 million or perhaps even a good five-year deal (Benintendi won’t turn 29 until July next year)? 

Benintendi showed he could play for a championship team in Boston. He is handling New York just fine (by the way, Joey Gallo also will be a free agent). He is still in his prime. He bats left-handed. And the only outfielders the Yankees have under control next year who bat lefty are Hicks, Florial and Cabrera, a switch-hitter who is more an infielder. That is a lot of underwhelming or unproven lefty outfield bats.