It was recently revealed that Anthony Volpe will undergo shoulder surgery, a development that has sparked endless questions about what will happen next with the player after being one of the most criticized figures throughout the 2025 season. And rightly so, because the New York Yankees will have to make a major decision if Volpe ends up missing the entire 2026 season while recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Facing this scenario, Joel Sherman of the New York Post analyzed the various possibilities and potential paths the team could take.
Top options for the Yankees
“And there’s no kind of obvious trade candidate,” Sherman noted. “Do you want to go to the top of the market and say you’re going to sign Alex Bregman, who’s been playing third base, to play shortstop? That doesn’t seem like something financially the Yankees would do-or wise to do. You know, Bregman’s had a lot of lower-half injuries, going to be in his 30s now. That doesn’t seem like the right answer.”
“There is no shortstop store like on 36th Street in Manhattan,” Sherman said. “The best free agent shortstops available are Bo Bichette. The industry in general does not believe he is a shortstop now or will be a shortstop moving forward. He’s not very good on defense.”
“Does Ha-Seong Kim opt out of his contract with the Braves? Perhaps he does,” Sherman suggested. “But he’s been highly injured the last two years, and he’s had a low-90s OPS+ over that span. And there are real questions – is he a second baseman, or more of a move-him-all-around-the-diamond player?”
“So to me, this is at least initially an internal situation, maybe something small in the marketplace,” Sherman concluded. “But (José) Caballero, (Oswaldo) Cabrera, and maybe everyone’s just keeping the seat warm long-term for George Lombard Jr., who could appear on the radar late in 2026. Still, I think he’s more of a 2027 option if he’s going to be a real player for the Yankees. He’s probably their No. 1 prospect as of today.”
Once hailed as the shortstop of the future for the franchise, Volpe battled a shoulder injury for most of the 2025 season, posting a .212/.272/.663 slash line in 153 games. His 19 errors tied him with Boston Red Sox star Trevor Story for the most among American League shortstops.
Beyond key offseason priorities like re-signing Cody Bellinger and restructuring the bullpen, the Yankees must also find a replacement for Volpe, as they simply cannot afford to compete without solid coverage at one of the most important positions in all of baseball.
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