Yankees-Nationals trade pitch sends $4.2M All-Star to New York to part ways with Anthony Volpe

The New York Yankees were cautious about bringing Anthony Volpe back, keeping him in Triple-A even after his rehab assignment ended. However, after José Caballero suffered an injury, the Yankees were left with no choice but to recall Volpe.

When Volpe returned, there were plenty of question marks surrounding him. Early on, he was able to hold his own, which came as a pleasant surprise.

“Volpe got off to a solid start but the positive results only lasted a couple of weeks, and he’s since been abysmal on both sides of the field. Despite winning a Gold Glove award in his rookie season, Volpe has been prone to making fundamental defensive mistakes—he led all American League shortstops with 18 errors last year,” SI’s Karl Rasmussen wrote.

The bad news is that things have gone downhill since then. In fact, Volpe endured a terrible start to the month of June.

“In his first seven June appearances, Volpe has recorded a putrid .083/.154/.125 slash line across 24 ABs. He only has two hits and three total bases during that stretch, having drawn two walks while striking out five times,” SI’s Devon Platana wrote.

At this point, it is safe to say New York could be ready to move on if it finds the right replacement. SI’s Michael Rosenstein believes trading for CJ Abrams would solve many of the Yankees' problems.

“It's no secret the Yankees aren't satisfied with Anthony Volpe at shortstop. Yes, José Caballero has been doing a nice job, hitting .264 with seven home runs this season. But the utility infielder owns a lifetime .234 batting average and .670 OPS. That brings us to Abrams. He's hitting .285 this season with 14 home runs and .876 OPS. The former All-Star has hit at least 18 home runs in each of the three previous seasons. He's a lifetime .253 hitter with .736 OPS. While those aren't Derek Jeter numbers, they represent a significant upgrade from Volpe,” Rosenstein wrote.

Trading for Abrams would be a strong move, as he would provide another quality bat in the lineup. He has also been more dependable than Volpe, though Abrams has had his own defensive struggles, just not to the same extent.

Abrams is still under arbitration, and his salary this season is just $4.2 million. The Yankees would be able to keep him under team control on affordable arbitration deals for the foreseeable future. A move like this could finally allow New York to move on from Volpe.

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