Jose Caballero has spent most of his career making his case at shortstop, so it says plenty about the Yankees’ current infield direction that he’s the one stepping aside.
New York has handed George Lombard Jr. the everyday job at short, elevating the 21-year-old after 333 minor league games, including 56 this season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The decision landed as part of a broader roster shuffle that went well beyond the two trade-deadline bats the Yankees brought in - first baseman Luis García Jr. from the Nationals and outfielder Heliot Ramos from the Giants. In the same run of moves, Anthony Volpe was optioned after splitting time with Caballero at short, while Jasson Domínguez and reliever Angel Chivilli were sent to Triple-A.
That leaves Caballero in a different role than the one he preferred, but not one he’s fighting. He was clear about where he feels most comfortable, and just as clear that the team comes first.
“My preference, what I enjoy the most, is playing short,” Caballero said as per NJ.com. “But it’s not about me.
It’s about the team and it’s about what we need and what makes us better as a team. I’m always going to be available to do whatever the team wants.”
He said the conversation with Aaron Boone was centered on one thing.
“I told Boone that I’m part of this team and I’m just trying to win a World Series,” Caballero added. “That’s all that matters to me.”
That’s a notable shift from earlier in the season, when a broken finger sent Caballero to the 10-day injured list and opened the door for Volpe to return. At that point, Caballero said he believed he should have stayed in the lineup.
This time, there was no edge to his response. He accepted the move immediately.
He also didn’t take the easy route and minimize the rookie replacing him. Caballero saw Lombard in spring training and came away impressed by the package: right-handed power, range, arm strength and a calmness that didn’t match his age. Then came the debut, where Lombard started a double play with a slick defensive play and homered in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over the Cardinals.
Caballero was all-in on the praise.
“For sure, Lombard is going to make us better,” Caballero said. “It doesn’t matter that he’s very young.
He’s all about being a professional. He knows what he’s doing.
I know he’s gonna succeed. He’s gonna help the team win games and lock down the defense because he’s a great shortstop.
So for the team, George is a great addition. This guy is going to play for a long time.”
The role change is real, though. Caballero started 90 of the Yankees’ first 113 games, with 61 of those starts coming at shortstop, before sitting out Lombard’s first two starts. Now he looks like a bench piece who could still pop into the lineup once or twice a week, including at second base against tough left-handers or at third when Ryan McMahon rests.
At 30 on Aug. 30, Caballero isn’t being pushed out of the picture.
He has three more years of team control beyond this season, and one injury in the infield could send him right back into a regular role. But he also knows what gets lost in these roster decisions, and he made sure not to ignore the people caught in the shuffle.
He had sympathy for Volpe, his fellow shortstop and friend who shares his love for FC Barcelona, and for others who were moved aside as the roster tightened.
“Volpe’s a great kid and a great teammate,” Caballero said. “We always pulled for each other.
I always wish him the best because he’s my teammate. It was always about us trying to beat other teams.”
He said the same kind of thing about Max Schuemann, now in Scranton, and Oswaldo Cabrera, who didn’t make the team this year, describing those demotions as part of the business even when they hit hard.
For the Yankees, the timing matters too. They enter the weekend at 64-51, second in the AL East and four games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays, while holding a wild-card spot. They open a home series against the Atlanta Braves on Friday with Lombard now installed at short and Caballero shifting into whatever role the club needs next.
For his part, Caballero sounds ready to keep it simple.
“For me, it’s thinking about the moment and trying to help the team win games, make it to postseason and keep advancing to the next bracket,” Caballero said.
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