New York Yankees Could Have Surprising Plans for Anthony Volpe

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe missed the start of the 2026 MLB campaign while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He then got healthy, and the Yankees chose to keep him in the minor leagues.

It was a devastating reality check for Volpe, who endured a brutal showing in 2025 and has been much maligned by the fanbase for the last year.

But due to Jose Caballero suffering a fractured thumb, Volpe was recalled on Tuesday and made his 2026 debut against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

Caballero was placed on the 10-day injured list, so Volpe is now New York's starting shortstop ... for now.

Aaron Boone has refused to commit to Volpe as his top guy, and considering how well Caballero had been playing, slashing a respectable .259/.320/.400 while posting a ridiculous plus-9 DRS at short, you can understand why.

So, with Caballero turning into quite the weapon and the Yankees having top prospect George Lombard Jr. knocking on the door, what exactly does the future hold for Volpe, New York's former first-round pick?

Is it possible that the Yankees could use the 25-year-old as trade bait this season? We absolutely cannot rule it out.

While you do have to wonder how Caballero will look as a full-time starting shortstop over the course of a 162-game campaign (he owns a lifetime .232/.317/.348 slash line), Boone seems pretty comfortable with the Panamanian native manning the position.

Not only that, but it stands to reason that Lombard could potentially make his big-league debut as soon as this year, although his struggles at Triple-A (.167/.444/.167 slash line across 54 plate appearances) may have thrown a wrench into things.

Regardless, Lombard will almost certainly be up with the team next season, which means that Volpe will either have to shift over to second base, head to the bench or be gone. The latter is plausible.

New York will almost certainly make a couple of moves to bolster its roster between now and the trade deadline. It could really use another reliever or two, and it may add a bat somewhere. While Volpe can't be the centerpiece of a major deal, he could at least represent a throw-in as part of a larger package.

Let's face it: Volpe won a Gold Glove in 2023, and while he owns a career .662 OPS, he has absolutely flashed some potential as a hitter. He was even performing pretty well at the dish prior to his shoulder injury last May.

Essentially, Volpe has some value. He is under club control through 2028, and perhaps a change of scenery could do him some good.

Of course, there is always the chance that the hometown kid lights it up upon his return to the majors and wins his starting job back with no qualms. In that case, the Yankees may realize that Volpe has finally arrived.

But in the event that Volpe posts middling or subpar results, look for trade rumors to begin swirling around the youngster.

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