The Yankees are only a couple of games into the second half, but the shape of their deadline plans is already starting to come into focus. They’ve won two straight, they sit two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in first place, and Brian Cashman looks headed for a busy stretch as August 3 approaches.
One of the biggest questions is what happens at shortstop. Anthony Volpe and Josè Caballero have been bouncing back and forth there all year, and neither has fully locked down the job.
Volpe has the better defensive numbers, sitting in the 94th percentile with 6 Outs Above Average, while Caballero is at -2 OAA at short. Even so, Caballero has looked steadier with the eye test, which only adds to the sense that the Yankees aren’t completely sold on either player.
That uncertainty is why Joel Sherman’s report that the Yankees will call up Lombard this summer doesn’t sound far-fetched. Lombard should be the one prospect they treat as untouchable at the deadline, though in baseball nothing is ever completely off the table.
If he’s still in the organization by the August 3 deadline, the expectation is that he’ll be with the team. Caballero would still have a role as a roving infielder/outfielder, but Volpe’s future would be murkier.
He’d either be moved or sent back to the minors.
Right field is another spot that has become more of a problem than it first appears. Outside of Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, the Yankees have not gotten much there, and Jasson Domínguez still hasn’t shown he can be trusted. He made what looked like a terrific catch against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, but the play was really the result of a bad jump.
Spencer Jones is one possible answer, and he would at least bring better defense. The tradeoff is obvious: once he steps into the box, he’s likely to strike out 50% of the time. Domínguez hasn’t exactly been carrying the offense either, so the bar is not especially high.
The Yankees have already cycled through Caballero, Max Schuemann, Amed Rosario, and Randal Grichuk in right field this season. Grichuk has given the Chicago White Sox some decent pop, but none of those options has done enough to suggest he should be starting there.
There’s also the matter of Giancarlo Stanton, whose return remains uncertain. And once Judge is healthy enough to play, he’ll probably need to DH. That makes right field even more important than it may seem at first glance, and the Yankees have a few names who could help stabilize it.
JJ Bleday and Trevor Larnach are two possible fits. Neither grades well defensively by OAA in the outfield, but both can hit, and that matters here.
Bleday’s swing also looks tailor-made for the short porch. He comes with a few years of control and still may not cost much, especially since the Cincinnati Reds picked him up off the waiver wire last year.
Cody Bellinger is another name that might surprise people on a list like this, especially after he started the American League in the All-Star Game and won the game’s MVP. But the production hasn’t been there lately. Since Aaron Judge went down on June 1, Bellinger is hitting .232/.293/.331 with a 76 wRC+.
Jazz Chisholm has been better, but not by much. Since Judge’s injury, he’s hit .209/.288/.481 with a 108 wRC+, and a lot of that damage came over his last two games, when he homered in three straight at-bats.
Still, the Yankees have enough talent in the lineup that both players are expected to turn it around. Baseball tends to sort these things out, and the idea is that neither Bellinger nor Chisholm can stay this quiet for long. Both should have stronger second halves and start making up for lost time.
In Other News...
Yankees Shortstop Drama Just Took A Frustrating New Turn
The Yankees shortstop situation keeps circling back to the same uncomfortable theme: they still do not have a clean answer, and the debate has drifted well beyond simple production. Jos Caballeros arrival has added a different kind of energy to the conversation, while Anthony Volpes uneven play has only sharpened the scrutiny on a position that should bring stability, not more questions.
What makes it more frustrating from the Yankees side is how much the issue has become about tone and accountability as much as talent. Under Aaron Boone, the club has too often looked willing to absorb sloppy fundamentals and mental mistakes without enough correction, and that leaves the shortstop discussion feeling less like a competition for a job and more like another reminder that the Yankees are still searching for a consistent, winning answer. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Linked To A Young Shortstop Fans Will Debate Fast
The Yankees are once again being mentioned in the kind of trade chatter that tends to follow a contending club with a clear need and a front office willing to explore the market. ESPNs Jeff Passan has pointed to a young shortstop as the sort of player who could draw real interest from teams looking to upgrade up the middle, and New York is among the clubs viewed as a natural fit. The appeal is obvious: a player who has already shown he can help at the plate and on the bases, while still carrying the age and control window that make him more than a short-term rental.
What makes this conversation more interesting is the balance between upside and fit. Over the past three seasons, the shortstop in question has put together a productive offensive profile and added value with his legs, but evaluators have also had to weigh concerns about his range at a premium defensive spot. For the Yankees, that is the kind of trade-off that can spark a debate quickly, especially if the asking price climbs and the market starts to narrow around a few contenders. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Be Sending A Quiet Message About Anthony Volpe
Anthony Volpes place in the Yankees infield picture has looked a little less secure lately, and the timing only adds to the sense that the club is weighing bigger decisions ahead of the trade deadline. With shortstop and outfield help both on the radar, the Yankees are clearly keeping their options open as they try to sharpen the roster for the stretch run.
George Lombard Jr. is part of that conversation, too, which is why this feels like more than a simple midseason shuffle. The organizations willingness to think about the position now suggests Volpes role is being viewed through a different lens than it was earlier in the year, and the next move at shortstop could say plenty about how the Yankees see their present and their future. [Read more 🡒]