Yankees Could Be Sneakily Planning Blockbuster Anthony Volpe Upgrade
Could Brian Cashman move on from Volpe this winter?
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said recently (per The Athletic) that New York’s front office will “go to town to improve (the team’s) weaknesses” this offseason. It was a vague and generalized statement that led fans to speculate on Cashman’s next move. Some people are wondering, does Cashman consider shortstop Anthony Volpe one of New York’s “weaknesses”?
Volpe was arguably the MVP of the ALWC against the Boston Red Sox, but then he followed that up with a 1-for-15, 11-strikeout disasterclass of a series against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.
Days after the Yankees’ season ended, Cashman revealed in a press conference that Volpe had played much of the 2025 season with a torn left labrum, for which Volpe underwent surgery on October 14.
Volpe is still just 24 years old. He’s only played three MLB seasons for the Yanks, but his latest campaign (.212 batting average, third-most errors in MLB) left a lot to be desired.
Will New York’s front office forgive Volpe’s off-year, attributing it to his injury, or will Cashman look to improve at the shortstop position this winter?
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand has an interesting idea in this regard. What if the Yankees went out and made a massive offer for Toronto Blue Jays shortstop (and free agent) Bo Bichette?
“With Anthony Volpe undergoing shoulder surgery that will keep him out for the start of the season, the Yankees can reassess the shortstop position following another down season by their former top prospect,” Feinsand wrote on Thursday.
“Jazz Chisholm Jr. is under control for one more season, so the Yankees could use Bichette at shortstop in 2026, then move either Bichette or Volpe to second base if Chisholm leaves as a free agent. Taking Bichette away from the division-rival Blue Jays would be an added bonus.”
Sounds like a pretty solid proposal for the Yankees. While Volpe still might turn into a productive bat down the line, New York’s window is now. Aaron Judge will turn 34 in April. The Yankees need players who are in their prime now, not guys who are a few years away.
That’s where Bichette, 27, is a better fit for New York’s timeline than Volpe, in addition to being a far superior player overall.
Still, it would be surprising to see Cashman pull off a deal of this magnitude, given his relatively tame offseason attitude in recent years.
