A lot has been made of the Yankees optioning shortstop Anthony Volpe this past Sunday and GM Brian Cashman has offered his thoughts on the move.
Speaking with the NY Post on Wednesday at a charity event, Cashman called the decision two-fold as the team continues to use its depth to climb to the top of the American League.
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“We’re paid to make very difficult decisions,” Cashman said. “This year’s Yankees team is a lot deeper. We have a lot more choices. And (Jose) Caballero has emerged with his play, and so we kind of had to honor that. He snuck up on us a little bit, but that’s good.”
With Volpe recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Caballero became the Yankees starting pitcher out of camp and has run with the opportunity. In 35 games this season, Caballero is slashing .260/.311/.407 with an OPS of .718 to go along with his four home runs, 13 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. Not to mention his defense has been stupendous to start the year.
So when Volpe’s 20-day rehab assignment was up, the Yankees decided to go with the hot hand. And keeping Volpe on the bench didn’t make sense with the combination of Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario and Paul Goldschmidt excelling in their roles.
“You let the games play out and you honor the performance when warranted,” Cashman said. “It wasn’t anything that Anthony was doing wrong. It was what Cabby was doing. Stay tuned. It’s a long year. We’re excited that we have Anthony, we’re excited that we have Cabby, we’re excited about all the talented players we have. Hopefully, they collectively find a way to get what our fans deserve.”
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But Volpe, who is still just 25 years old, is still considered a part of the Yankees’ future. They are currently looking for a way that serves both the Yankees and Volpe. And, for now, it’s keeping Volpe in the minors to get regular at-bats.
In six games with Triple-A this season, Volpe is hitting .240 with a home run and is coming off a two-hit game on Tuesday.
While playing with Triple-A, Volpe is starting at shortstop exclusively, but Cashman called it a “fluid situation” as they look to best utilize Volpe’s talents. The Yankees already have George Lombard Jr. in Triple-A, who is a shortstop by trade. However, Lombard has already played at second and third to develop the prospect’s versatility.
Volpe may need to move around the diamond if he hopes to get back to the big leagues sooner rather than later.
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