Anthony Volpe’s name doesn’t usually come up in trade conversations as a real chip, but his defense is starting to make that idea harder to ignore.
The Yankees shortstop has been a different player in the field this season than he was a year ago. The biggest reason, according to the source reporting, is health. With the shoulder issue behind him, Volpe has been cleaner and more reliable with the glove, and that matters a lot more than the general fan reaction seems to suggest.
One play in Washington showed exactly why. Late in the game against the Nationals, with New York still down a run, CJ Abrams smoked a ball straight at Volpe.
The ball came off at 106.5 MPH, but Volpe dropped to his knees, handled it cleanly and made the routine throw to Paul Goldschmidt for the first out in the bottom of the eighth. That kind of play would have felt a lot shakier last year.
The bat is still another story. Volpe’s offense remains well below what anyone around the Yankees hoped for, but his glove could make him a legitimate trade candidate in 2026 for a contender looking for stability at shortstop. He’s only 25, and he doesn’t hit free agency until 2029.
The defensive numbers back up the eye test. Volpe is in the 93rd percentile at shortstop this season and has 6 Outs Above Average. Last year, while dealing with the injury, he finished at -6 OAA and ranked in the 8th percentile defensively.
He’s never going to be known for a big arm, and that limitation would come with him wherever he goes. But his range has taken a clear step forward, and he still hasn’t even played a full season.
From the Yankees’ perspective, there’s a path here if they want to improve the roster without stripping down their minor league depth. George Lombard Jr. is viewed internally as the shortstop of the future, which makes Volpe easier to move than a player who would leave the organization scrambling for an answer at the position.
That’s why the idea of trading Volpe shouldn’t be dismissed. Even if the relationship between the Yankees and the player has felt like a three-year love affair from the outside, the team could be in a position where dealing him actually makes sense.
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