Why option Volpe to Minors? It's all about winning now for Yankees

NEW YORK – There has been a noticeable shift in the Yankees’ urgency this season, and not all on the field. Not satisfied with an early claim on the American League’s top record (23-11 before Monday night's game), the front office has aggressively shifted the rotation, bench and bullpen.

That mindset extended to Anthony Volpe’s locker in the Yankee Stadium clubhouse on Monday – still assigned, but unoccupied, one day after the club optioned the shortstop to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at the conclusion of a Minor League rehab assignment.

Though general manager Brian Cashman’s stated plan had been to restore Volpe’s starting role immediately once healthy following left shoulder surgery, the organization has been pleased with José Caballero’s play at shortstop.

“We have to acknowledge, first, how well José has played,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s been a key factor in us getting off to a really great start this year on both sides of the ball and the basepaths.

“It’s really as simple as that. It doesn’t change how we feel about Anthony or the kind of player we think he is and will be. But in this moment in time, we felt like this was absolutely the right thing to do.”

In previous seasons, the Yankees might have operated in a more conservative fashion. Luis Gil could still be in the rotation instead of Elmer Rodríguez, or Randal Grichuk might be on the bench instead of signing with the White Sox on Monday.

As the Yankees’ first series of the season wrapped up in San Francisco, captain Aaron Judge reminded teammates how they’d lost the AL East to the Blue Jays by a tiebreaker last year. One more win might have changed everything.

With that in mind, don’t expect to hear Judge complaining about the mindset Mariano Duncan once voiced about the 1996 Yankees: “We play today, we win today, that’s it.”

“We’ve got a good ballclub, so it’s good to be urgent,” Judge said on Monday. “Us as players, we’re up there fighting for our lives every single day. We’re trying to win every single game. So to see it from the management side, where it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re not going to mess around here with some moves, we’re going to do what’s best for the team,’ you appreciate seeing that as a player.”

Judge said he spoke with Volpe for about 30 to 40 minutes on Sunday evening.

“That was tough. Anthony’s my guy,” Judge said. “I know he’s going to be more motivated than ever to come back here. The team’s been doing well; Caballero at shortstop is just doing an amazing job, defensively and offensively. It’s kind of a tough position to be put in. How are you going to change things up?

“But Anthony's a big piece of what we're doing here, and that's moving forward. We got to a World Series with him as our shortstop. He had some big moments for us in the World Series and that playoff run. I'm excited to see him come back here.”

Boone said Volpe will continue playing shortstop with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while top prospect George Lombard Jr. will continue rotating between second base, third base and shortstop.

Volpe, 25, had been the Yankees’ starting shortstop since 2023, slashing .222/.283/.379 (83 OPS+) over that span. Caballero entered play Monday with a .259/.306/.405 slash line (96 OPS+) and a Major League-best 7 defensive runs saved.

“I think Anthony is going to have a long career and be a really good player in this league,” Boone said. “His next step as a player is gaining that consistency offensively. Even through some of his struggles, I think he’s been a way better player than some of the narratives around him.”