NEW YORK – On Sunday night, just before he was getting ready to eat dinner in his Chelsea penthouse, Aaron Judge picked up his phone and called Anthony Volpe.
The Yankees had just romped the Orioles, 11-3. Judge went 2-for-4 at the plate with a home run. Ben Rice and Jasson Dominguez left the yard, too. The Yankees offense, which leads the American League in runs scored, collected 15 hits and batted .417 with runners in scoring position in their Sunday afternoon win against Baltimore.
A couple of hours later, the Yankees announced a gutsy move. They reinstated Volpe from his rehab assignment and, instead of calling him up to the major-league roster, they demoted him to Triple-A Scranton.
“What’d they say?” Judge asked Volpe on the phone. “How are you feeling? What’s going on? How’s the shoulder feeling, really?”
Anthnoy Volpe is started the season in the minors. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Judge said he spoke to Volpe for 30–40 minutes. The Yankees captain wanted to check in on the 25-year-old shortstop, who had just lost his job to Jose Caballero.
“That was tough,” Judge told me on the field at Yankee Stadium on Monday. “Anthony’s my guy. But I know he’s going to be more motivated than ever to come back here. The team’s been doing well. Caballero at shortstop has been doing just an amazing job, defensively and offensively. So, it’s kind of a tough position to be put in where, you know, how are you gonna change things up?”
(Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images)
After the Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees from the playoffs last October, Volpe underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. It was an injury that had bothered Volpe all year, with club officials explaining that the labrum tear was part of the reason he hit .212/.272/.391 and posted an OPS+ of 82. The team announced he would miss the start of the season, and Caballero would take over until Volpe completed his rehab.
Initially, at least, the Yankees’ plan was always to bring Volpe back to the big leagues. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said as much, multiple times this season, when he was asked about Volpe’s rehab progress. At Volpe’s end, he’d said his shoulder felt great. He spent a few days with the Yankees on the days off from his rehab schedule last month. Taking into account how staunchly the Yankees over the past three years have defended Volpe’s performance and future impact on the club, all signs pointed to the shortstop patrolling the middle of the infield by May.
Jose Caballero has been a spark for the Yankees. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
So, what changed?
Caballero, after a slow start to the season, started ripping the cover off the ball. The 29-year-old infielder, whom the Yankees traded for at last year’s deadline, entered Monday hitting .324/.370/.544 with four home runs, eight stolen bases, eight RBI and 12 runs scored over his last 19 games. He’s also been a vacuum at one of the most demanding positions in baseball. Caballero leads all MLB shortstops with 7 Defensive Runs Saved. In terms of range, Caballero’s 3 Outs Above Average are ranked in the 94th percentile.
“It doesn’t change how we feel about Anthony, and the kind of player we think he is and will be,” Boone said on Monday, explaining the organization’s decision. “But, in this moment of time, we felt like this was absolutely the right thing to do. A lot of that has to do with, we have a lot of really good players right now competing for real roles and real spots. I think that competition ultimately is going to be a great thing for us.
“So, right now, I think this is the right choice for us. I think it’s the right thing to do even for Anthony.”
(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
While Caballero’s stock started to rise over the past few weeks, the Yankees have become a machine.
Their offense, as previously mentioned, is clicking on all cylinders. Yankees hitters lead the AL in slugging percentage, RBI, walk rate and stolen bases. Their starting pitching leads the majors in ERA, WHIP, WAR, strikeouts and opponent batting average. Their bullpen, while not as dominant as it’s been in recent years, is still ranked sixth in the majors in ERA.
On Monday, the Yankees completed a sweep of the Orioles in a four-game series. New York’s 24-11 record is the best in the AL and the second-best in the majors, trailing only the Atlanta Braves. It’s possible that bringing up Volpe now would’ve created a tense environment in the Bronx. Fans would’ve expected Volpe to play at the same edgy and high-energy level as Caballero. Even in the clubhouse, replacing Caballero with Volpe would not have been a seamless transition.
“It’s a surprise,” Judge said of his reaction to Volpe’s demotion. “But then also, Caballero is rolling, you know? So that’s the biggest thing. How the team’s flowing right now, it’s kind of tough to move some things around.”
That was Judge’s way of suggesting he agrees with the Yankees’ decision to keep Volpe in the minors, for now. The slugger told Volpe that he’s a big piece of the puzzle moving forward. Judge reminded Volpe that the Yankees reached the World Series in 2024 with him as their shortstop. Volpe had some big hits against the Dodgers in that Fall Classic, including a grand slam that gave the Yankees the lead in Game 4.
Coming through at the plate in the postseason is actually Volpe’s high-water mark. Even last October, the shortstop batted .364 (4-for-11) with a home run and two RBI in the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, helping the Yankees advance to the ALDS. But, while Volpe has shown flashes of what could end up being a bright future, his inconsistency at the plate over the course of the long season has been a problem.
After three years, 472 games and 1,886 plate appearances, Volpe has a career OPS+ of 83.
What’s next for Anthony Volpe? (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“It’s acknowledging where we are as a club right now,” Boone said. “It doesn’t mean somebody’s better or worse. I think Anthony’s going to be a really good player and have a long career in this league. 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 sometimes are.”
Sure, some of the narratives that circulated online and on talk-radio shows painted Volpe as the worst player Yankees fans have ever seen. That’s simply not the case. It’s easy to overlook that, despite his rough rookie year, Volpe still posted a 20/20 season. But, over the years, the Yankees were unwilling to even entertain the idea that Volpe, who was promoted to the majors after just 21 games in Triple-A, was likely not ready to be declared the long-term solution at shortstop.
So, demoting Volpe is a complete reversal of how the organization has operated. After the Yankees missed the playoffs in 2023, general manager Brian Cashman defended Volpe and his player-development processes in a curse-laden outburst with reporters at the GM meetings. Boone, too, used to get irritated at repeated questions about Volpe’s lack of performance. The Yankees stuck with him to the point of stubborn, almost unreasonable, support of the shortstop. At no point during his young career was Volpe sent down to the minors.
Until now.
The Yankees are showing a noticeable shift in urgency and intensity this season. They demoted former Rookie of the Year Luis Gil after he struggled through four starts this season. They designated veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk for assignment. Third baseman Ryan McMahon has had a short leash at the hot corner. This season, the Yankees have preferred to play the hot hand, highlighted by infielder Amed Rosario performing well and forcing himself into the mix.
Demoting Volpe is the clearest sign yet that the Yankees are moving differently this year. Boone on Monday even appeared open to the idea that Volpe might have to switch positions, particularly with George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ No. 1 overall top prospect, joining Volpe in Triple-A Scranton. Judge said he’d like to see Volpe back up with the Yankees even if his role is as “a utility guy.”
And even Judge, who tends to tip-toe around questions about front-office decision-making, has noticed the shift in urgency.
“Well, we got a good ball club, you know, it’s good to be urgent,” Judge said. “Because us, as players, man, we’re up there, we’re fighting for our lives every single day. We’re trying to win every single ball game. So to see it from the management side, where it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re not gonna mess around here with some moves. We’re gonna do whatever’s best for the team.’ So, you know, you appreciate seeing that as a player. But, I let those guys handle that.”
Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
