Michael Kay walked back a rumor about Anthony Volpe on Wednesday, but the damage - or at least the noise - had already been done.
The Yankees shortstop became the center of fresh speculation after Kay had said he’d heard Volpe was asked to try second base in the minors and refused. That idea had already been floating around through reporting from Joel Sherman, and it sparked a bigger question about where Volpe fits if the Yankees keep looking for answers elsewhere.
Kay later pushed back hard on the claim. “I spoke of a rumor yesterday on TMKS that Anthony Volpe would not play 2B in the minors.
Sounded unlike him, so I checked further today and there is absolutely no truth to it whatsoever. He never refused to work at second.
Will speak more of it today at 1 pm @ESPNNewYork.”
That clarification matters because the original allegation carried real weight. If Volpe had been unwilling to move, even temporarily, it would have added a different layer to the ongoing debate around his role and his value to the Yankees. Instead, Kay says the rumor simply isn’t true.
Still, the conversation around Volpe isn’t going away. He has drawn plenty of support over the last few years, and he’s also taken heat from people who think his defense has been judged too harshly for what he’s actually provided. His 88 OPS+ has been part of that argument, along with the sense that he hasn’t been the problem some want him to be.
But the Yankees are also making roster decisions with bigger-picture needs in mind. On July 4, Spencer Jones was sent back to the minors, with Carlos Rodón’s injury creating a need for a spot starter. The original speculation tied Volpe’s situation to that move, suggesting the club may have been weighing alternatives while keeping him at shortstop.
That’s where the trade chatter starts to creep in. The Yankees have stayed loyal to Volpe, but if the organization eventually decides it can’t keep forcing the fit, the conversation changes fast.
George Lombard Jr. is moving up quickly, and if not this September, then next season is already in view. The idea of shifting other pieces around just to preserve Volpe at shortstop does not sound like a long-term answer.
For now, the Yankees still have a shortstop problem, even if this particular rumor doesn’t hold up. Jose Caballero remains a utility player, and Lombard Jr. is still injured. The uncertainty is real, and so is the possibility that Volpe’s next chapter becomes part of a larger roster shakeup.
As for Jones, the path back is still there. But if this summer turns into a turning point, the more likely player to move on may be Volpe, not the outfielder who keeps trying to force his way back into the picture.
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