The New York Yankees could make a shocking move with shortstop Anthony Volpe.
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and is expected to miss some time at the beginning of 2026.
Volpe is also coming off of a disastrous 2025 campaign in which he slashed just .212/.272/.391 while also struggling defensively.
As a result, fans are beyond frustrated with the 24-year-old, and many would prefer the Yankees to go in a different direction at his position.
Well, that could be coming. Kind of.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post has reported that there is a possibility Volpe begins the season at Triple-A upon his return, particularly if Jose Caballero is playing well in his stead.
"If Caballero is playing well, could the Yankees actually send Volpe to the minors upon his activation from the IL?" Sherman wrote.
Not only would this allow Caballero to remain the starter, but it could be strategic from New York's point of view to gain Volpe an extra year of service time.
"Volpe currently would be a free agent after the 2028 season. But if he spends even 20 days in the minors, the earliest he could be a free agent is after the 2029 campaign," Sherman wrote. "That matters to his salaries moving forward. It also could impact his trade value if the Yankees go that way because teams are always looking to have more control years when they obtain a player."
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.Of course, adding an extra year to Volpe's club control probably won't win over many fans who want him gone, but it does increase his value in the event of a trade.
And in fairness to Volpe, he played most of last year with a torn labrum in his shoulder and still managed to hit 19 home runs with 72 RBI.
It's also important to remember that Volpe won a Gold Glove during his rookie campaign in 2023 and was also terrific defensively in 2024, so his major dropoff last season could probably be explained by the shoulder injury.
The Yankees acquired Caballero at the trade deadline last summer. The former Tampa Bay Rays utility man slashed .266/.372/.456 across 95 plate appearances in the Bronx last year, so he definitely played well.
But can Caballero — who owns a lifetime .657 OPS since entering the big leagues in 2023 — maintain adequate offensive production over the course of a full season? It remains to be seen.
It will certainly be interesting to see what New York decides to do with Volpe this spring.
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