Ken Rosenthal thinks Anthony Volpe could force Yankees hand on a major trade

Anthony Volpe has been the hottest name in Yankees camp this spring, and the young infield prospect could force New York to make a major trade.

Ken Rosenthal is one of the most respected MLB Insiders on the planet, so when he speaks, the baseball world takes notice. His latest comments while appearing as a guest on Foul Territory are sure to get Yankees fans abuzz, as he spoke about the possibility of a major trade going down before 2023 season begins.

One of the biggest names all spring has been Anthony Volpe. Widely consider by many to be the New York Yankees top prospect, Volpe has opened eyes with his play during Grapefruit League games this spring and is on the cusp of making the Yankees Opening Day roster.

With this, of course, comes the talk of where to play Volpe and how to get him into the lineup. The Yankees are already juggling an infield of DJ LeMathieu, Gleyber Torres, Josh Donaldson, and Anthony Rizzo. Throw in the three-man competition for shortstop between Volpe, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Oswald Peraza, and Aaron Boone has quite the logjam.

Ken Rosenthal thinks Anthony Volpe could force Yankees hand on a major trade.

But, perhaps MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal in onto something. Rosenthal floated the idea of the New York Yankees trading Gleyber Torres as a way to find playing time up the middle for the club’s two young prospects.

In this scenario, one would assume that Oswald Peraza, who has the better glove, would play shortstop, while Anthony Volpe would lock down the keystone. DJ LeMathieu could then do what he does best and platoon at multiple positions across the infield.

What could the Bronx Bombers hope to get in return for Torres? Rosenthal suggests pitching. And why not? The Yanks could certainly use a boost in the bullpen and perhaps even the starting rotation.

Torres is signed for just less than $10-million for the 2023 season and is under team control through next season. The 26-year-old posted an OPS+ of 114 last season and can play both second base and shortstop.

As Rosenthal notes, Yankees fans would much prefer that GM Brian Cashman find a suitor for Josh Donaldson, but that seems unlikely. Trading Torres would clear the way for the young infield duo of Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza while also snagging some help in return. Seems like a win-win to me.