The New York Yankees have a question mark at shortstop entering the season, and the team could look to the trade market.
New York’s starting shortstop, Anthony Volpe, will begin the season injured, and Jose Caballero is expected to start in his place. Yet, even when Volpe was healthy, he had plenty of questions around his defense and bat, so New York could use an upgrade.
MLB insider Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report urges the Yankees to acquire CJ Abrams from the Washington Nationals.
“Anthony Volpe was the future at shortstop not too long ago, but a dismal 2025 season and shoulder surgery have hit the brakes on that plan. José Caballero doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence, either,” Rymer wrote.
So, why not swing for the fences with a trade for Abrams? The 2024 All-Star is good for a 20-20 season and around 3 WAR annually, though any team acquiring him will remember his demotion after a reported late-night casino visit in Washington and expect him to avoid similar headlines in a market like New York.”
Abrams would be an upgrade over Volpe, but the cost to acquire him would likely be high. However, adding Abrams would make New York a much better team.
Abrams was an All-Star in 2024 and is under team control through the 2028 season. With the Nationals last season, he hit .257 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs.
Volpe Focused on Rehab During Yankees Camp
New York could look to acquire Abrams due to Volpe’s injury.
Volpe had surgery in the offseason to address a shoulder issue that plagued him all season long. He said the shoulder was worse than he thought, and he’s ecstatic that the doctors were able to clean it all up for him.
“I was excited when they showed me how cleaned up and fixed everything was,” Volpe said. “That was the motivating and positive thing to come out of it, even though right after surgery I felt horrible. Knowing that it’s fixed, then it’s just a road to recovery.”
Volpe is now focusing on rehab during Yankees’ spring training. It’s expected he will be back in May, but a hurdle will be minor-league games and feeling comfortable diving on the shoulder.
Yet, all Volpe wants to do is help the Yankees win baseball games this season.
“I just can’t wait to go back out there and play and help the team win,” Volpe said. “If I do that and play the way I know I can play, everything will take care of itself. I appreciate everything that comes with being the shortstop for the New York Yankees. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Volpe hit .212 with 19 home runs and 72 RBIs last season.
Abrams Not Thinking About Trade Rumors
Ahead of the 2026 MLB season, Abrams’ name has come up in trade rumors.
However, the star shortstop said he’s not thinking about it, as he’s just focused on playing baseball.
“I’ve been traded before,” Abrams said. “The rumors and stuff … if it happens, it happens. You’ve just got to keep working.”
Abrams has been traded before, dealt from the San Diego Padres to the Nationals in the Juan Soto deal. So, he learned from it that all he can do is focus on himself.
Yankees Urged to Acquire All-Star Shortstop to Replace Anthony Volpe