The New York Yankees are predicted to send star shortstop Anthony Volpe to Triple-A after his rehab assignment ends on Sunday.
Volpe will have completed the 20 days on his rehab assignment. So, the Yankees have to either option him to the minors or keep him in the MLB. With Jose Caballero playing well at shortstop, the decision has been made tough, but analyst Jack Curry believes Volpe will be sent down.
“The indications that I’m getting from talking to people around the Yankees. And as you said, listening to Boone, is that the Yankees are not going to move forward and promote Volpe to the Major Leagues. Not just yet,” Curry said on YES Network. “We look for answers from the organization and in recent days, Boone has given you those answers. When he’s been asked questions about Volpe, his answers have mostly been about Caballero. … Caballero deserves the opportunity to play shortstop. Anthony Volpe is part of the present and the future, but I don’t think it’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Curry believes the Yankees know the team, and Caballero is playing well and won’t want to mess with it. The analyst believes Volpe playing every day in Triple-A and continuing to get at-bats and reps in the field will be good for him.
But, Volpe not being part of the Yankees roster, at least for the time being, will no doubt be a bit of a shock.
Yankees Manager Noncommital on Volpe
With Volpe’s rehab assignment ending on Sunday, Boone was asked if the team would activate him to the MLB roster he seemed uncertain.
Instead, Boone credited the play of Caballero and what he has done at shortstop as a potential reason why Volpe might be optioned.
“We’ll get through today and talk through that,” Boone said. “Just wanting to do what’s best for the team, for Anthony, so we’ll have those conversations.”
Boone said Caballero’s play is certainly a reason, but the Yankees want to do what is best for the team.
“You also can’t ignore that he’s played so well defensively at shortstop, been a real spark for us offensively. Especially after kind of getting off to a slow start. Probably the first 10 days, two weeks of the season,” Boone said. “He’s really picked that up and been in the middle of us winning games.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to try and do what’s best for our team and then individual players that we care about too and know that are going to be important contributors to our team. We weigh all that.”
Volpe is hitting .275 with 1 home run and 6 RBIs on his rehab assignment.
New York Could Gain Extra Year of Control on Volpe
Another reason why the Yankees could decide to option Volpe is to gain another year of control.
If he is sent down and kept in the minors for 20 days. It would also push his free agency from 2028 to 2029. This is something insider Chris Kirschner of The Athletic believes is possible.
“This has not been suggested by team personnel, and it is mere speculation. But the Yankees could decide to keep Volpe in the minors after his rehab assignment is over,” Kirschner wrote. “Keeping him in the minors for 20 days would push Volpe’s free agency from 2028 to 2029.”
Whether or not the Yankees would option him for the extra year of control is uncertain.
Analyst Predicts Yankees Make Bold Decision on Anthony Volpe After Rehab Assignment