Yankees' Jose Caballero Could Be a Surprise Trade Candidate

The New York Yankees are expected to make some changes this MLB offseason, and that could mean trading some key players.

On that note, one natural trade candidate appears to be Jose Caballero.

The Yankees initially acquired Caballero from the Tampa Bay Rays midway through 2025, and he went on to establish himself as a very useful super-utility man in New York.

His antics with opposing pitchers aside, Caballero has long been a valuable big-league player because of his ability to play virtually any position.

He has generally been an infielder with the Yankees, but has also played some outfield, giving New York incredible versatility.

But his time in the Bronx could be coming to a close.

Why? Because Anthony Volpe seems to be gunning for the Yankees' utility role given his capacity to play three infield positions, and considering how impressive Volpe looked for stretches in 2026, he may end up stealing Caballero's job.

Keeping both Caballero and Volpe doesn't make a ton of sense. They are redundant with one another, both being right-handed bats who can come off the bench as late-inning defensive replacements or pinch runners.

Caballero seems to be the more likely of the two to go given the Yankees' commitment to Volpe (they used a first-round pick on him in 2019), so it wouldn't be the least bit shocking if New York fielded trade offers for the 30-year-old.

Make no mistake: Caballero has value. No, he won't fetch a major haul, but there would absolutely be teams interested in bringing him aboard.

The Panamanian native is also under club control through 2029, which would give another squad a cost-controlled player for the next three seasons.

Caballero isn't much of a hitter. We know that. He slashed .231/.290/.365 over 456 plate appearances in 2026, showing occasional pop with 14 home runs. But it's everything else that Caballero does that makes him an interesting piece.

He stole 34 bases this season and led the majors with 49 swiped bags a year ago. He hasn't the greatest baserunner, as he has been caught stealing 41 times in four seasons and gets picked off quite frequently, but he compensates for that with his blazing speed.

And he doesn't just possess the ability to play a variety of different positions: he also handles them quite well.

The Yankees might be able to get a decent prospect in return for Caballero, and with Volpe seeming like a lock to be part of the team's 26-man roster next spring, it wouldn't be shocking to see Caballero get moved.