Aaron Boone has come in for plenty of criticism amid the New York Yankees' recent skid. And understandably so: He's the manager, for one thing, and he's spent the last few weeks going to bat for highly questionable decisions — like, for example, sticking with a clearly washed DJ LeMahieu at second base and forcing Jazz Chisholm Jr. into an uncomfortable spot at third.
Another one of those decisions? His starting shortstop, Anthony Volpe, who continues to take the field at the 6 every day despite a dreadful slump at the plate and more defensive miscues than we're used to seeing from the 2022 Gold Glove winner. Fans have clamored for New York to make a change, to move on or at least take a break from a player who the team has considered part of its foundation.
But Boone has remained steadfast in his commitment to his young shortstop. That's partly out of faith in Volpe as a player; his manager has gone to bat for him at every turn, for better or worse. But it's also, as Boone admitted to Talkin' Yanks on Tuesday, because the Yankees don't really have another choice right now. (Jump to around the 34-minute mark in the video below.)
"In a perfect world you’d be able to get him those occasional days [off]," Boone said, noting that Volpe has appeared in 89 of his team's 90 games so far this season. "That’s been a little bit of a challenge. But also, I think physically and mentally he is very equipped to go to that post every day more than most guys. He’s kind of a beast physically, the way he trains and stuff. And as tough a stretch as it’s been, he’s mentally tough too and able to deal with it."
Boone can certainly be a little too willing to go to bat for his guys, or to crank up the heat when things aren't going well. But it's also worth taking him seriously here, because it points to the state of the Yankees roster and what can or can't be fixed moving forward.
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Yankees have no choice but to hope for an Anthony Volpe renaissance
The simple fact is that the Yankees are built, at least in part, around Volpe, and they've done so from pretty much the moment they drafted him in the first round back in 2019. Cashman reportedly made him untouchable in negotiations for players like Seattle Mariners righty Luis Castillo, and Volpe's ascension through the Minors played a not-insignificant part in the team's decision to steer clear of a splashy free agent at shortstop like Corey Seager or Trea Turner. Volpe was their guy, and for a while, he appeared set to make good on that faith.
Now, though, things have soured a bit. Volpe, while still valuable thanks to his defense and athleticism, might not be the star everyone envisioned; at this point it's fair to wonder whether he'll plateau at simply a fine starting shortstop, a player you can win with but not because of. And because the Yankees have considered the position settled for years now, there isn't much in the way of organizational depth that Boone can turn to.
Really, who would fans like Boone to slot in at shortstop on more than an emergency basis? Oswald Peraza, currently rocking a 37 OPS+? Maybe top prospect George Lombard Jr. becomes that player in time; right now, though, he's a 20-year-old hitting .204/.338/.309 in his first taste of Double-A. That's no reason to panic long-term, but there's also no reason to think he's a viable big-league option before late 2026 at the very earliest.
So here we are. The Yankees will almost certainly acquire an upgrade at third base, allowing them to shift Chisholm to second and boast at least good-enough options all around the diamond. But there are no reinforcements coming at shortstop. If New York wants to find another gear, they're going to need Volpe to take that long-awaited leap.