A few hours after the Yankees made the decision to keep José Caballero as the everyday shortstop and option Anthony Volpe to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, a National League scout said the team made a “great baseball decision.”
The move shows that the Yankees want to keep winning with Caballero. In his past 16 games, Caballero is 19-for-57 (.333) with three homers and four RBIs. The Yankees also love Caballero’s defense. He has +3 outs above average.
Volpe, according to the scout, needs a few more weeks in the Minor Leagues to show that he is Major League ready. There is no reason to rush him back, the scout insists. After all, Volpe is coming off his worst season in 2025. He had a slash line of .212/.272/.391 with 19 homers.
Defensively, he was a disappointment, recording -6 outs above average. The scout said the Yankees should give Volpe three weeks to a month to show his worth.
The scout predicts other talent evaluators will be watching Volpe closely. They could soon be going to the Yankees and expressing interest in his services.
“[Volpe] struggled mightily last year. He wasn’t an asset to the Yankees,” the talent evaluator said. “They have someone who is playing well. … Right now, the Yankees feel Caballero is a better option at shortstop, probably both offensively and defensively. But we’ll see how [Volpe] performs. … The Yankees are trying to win.
“I also think that if he starts playing well, they’ll make a decision. He might be a piece for them to get a pitcher that fits their needs. With Volpe, you don’t know what he is going to do. Is he going to strike out? Is he going to hit? He is still a valuable guy because he still has some power. He played a really good shortstop in the past.”
One position good enough for Caballero
Three days before the Yankees officially named him the everyday shortstop, Caballero acknowledged that he loves playing one defensive position.
Prior to this season, Caballero was known as a utility guy who has played every position during his career except for first base and catcher. He even pitched one game for the Rays in 2025 before they dealt him to New York last July.
“It does help a lot [to play one position],” he said. “I have to practice there. You have to concentrate on getting better in that position.”
Asked on Friday if he earned the everyday job at shortstop based on what he has done during the first 6 1/2 weeks of the season, Caballero was deferential and said, “I’m not the guy to make that decision. My goal is to help my team as much as I can to win and do my best every day. Every time I step on the field, I [go] 100 percent. I try to help my team, for sure.”
Since he has been playing one position this year, Caballero hasn’t been able to practice at other spots.
“If I’m going to play other positions, I have to get in rhythm for it,” he said. “If I was playing right field [like I did] last year, I would practice that day in right field. If I’m playing shortstop, I would practice at shortstop.”
According to Caballero, in order to be a successful shortstop, he must believe in himself and trust the work that he puts in during practice and every game.
“You really have to have your head clear,” Caballero said.