Anthony Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie, and the hope was always that he would develop into a better hitter while providing elite defense.
However, now in his fourth season, his defense has declined, and his bat is still below average. He is slashing .242/.338/.326 in 42 games this season. His defense last season hit an all-time low, and fans got a look at José Caballero at shortstop early in the year. Fans have questioned why Caballero has not gotten more opportunities at shortstop since Volpe returned and why Volpe has not played second base.
“He’s been our shortstop, and he got hurt and had surgery over the winter. He’s coming back, and we really haven’t had — until Cabby walked in the door last year — a real competition-based thing there,” Boone said before Wednesday’s game, per The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. “By the way, he’s been a (expletive) good shortstop. I hate to break it to everyone, but that still is real. Has he had his struggles? Sure. But he’s also played really well out there in some long stretches defensively.”
Volpe’s defense this year has been fine for the most part, but moving him to second base would not only make him more versatile but could be the key to fixing the Yankees’ offensive woes at third base. If Volpe played second base, Jazz Chisholm Jr. could go back to playing third base.
Aaron Boone once again seems committed to keeping Volpe in the lineup regularly. However, the team needs a way to get Caballero in the lineup more often. Playing Volpe at second base is a way to do that. Caballero himself has experience at third base, but is a stronger defender at shortstop.
