About the Off-Season: A Short Stop at Second Base

About the Off-Season: A Short Stop at Second Base

By Tim Kabel

October 20, 2025

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As the 2025 postseason rolls on without the Yankees, I will continue taking stock. It is time to evaluate what went wrong this season and what needs to happen going into next season. I started by addressing the manager. I then considered players on the current roster who will be free agents or who have options. Now, I am looking at the Yankees position by position. Today I will turn to both second base and shortstop.

The primary starting second baseman for the 2025 New York Yankees was Jazz Chisholm, Jr.. There was the unfortunate period during which DJ LeMahieu played second and Chisholm played third base, which didn't work out well for anyone. LeMahieu was ultimately released, much later than he should have been and Chisholm returned to second base. Chisholm became the third player in Yankees’ history with thirty home runs and thirty stolen bases in the same season, joining Bobby Bonds and Alfonso Soriano, who did it twice.

Chisholm batted .243 for the season with an .815 OPS. He had 31 home runs, 80 RBI, and 31 stolen bases. Due to an injury, he played 129 games. There is no need for a lot of discussion here. Jazz Chisholm, Jr. will be the starting second baseman for the Yankees in 2026. He will turn 28 years old in February and is set to become a free agent after next season. I would not be surprised if the Yankees signed him to an extension for five or six years.

Shortstop is a much more complicated position for the New York Yankees. Anthony Volpe has been the starting shortstop since 2023. in 2025, Volpe had his worst year in the Major Leagues. He batted .211 with 19 home runs and 72 RBI. His OPS was .663. However, he tied for the league lead in errors with Trevor Story of the Red Sox. They both made 19 errors. Remember, Volpe won the Gold Glove in 2023. Volpe stole 18 bases in 2025 but was thrown out 8 times which is the fewest number of stolen bases and the most times he has been thrown out in his three years in the Majors.

It came to light in September that Volpe suffered a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, his left shoulder, in May, diving for a ball. This was not mentioned at all to anyone outside of the Yankees’ organization until September. Once again, the Yankees were secretive and deceptive, and mishandled a player’s injury. At the postseason press conference this week, there were some awkward moments when Aaron Boone continued to state that the injury did not adversely affect Volpe’s play. Brian Cashman stated that he believed the injury did affect Volpe’s play simply because he needed surgery at the end of the year. It is amazing and disappointing that the manager and general manager are not on the same page regarding this. If you adhere to Boone’s version, then Volpe’s mediocre play in 2025 is simply due to his ability or lack thereof. There is no reason to expect improvement from Volpe once he recovers because the injury did not have anything to do with his less than sparkling season. This is somewhat inane, even coming from Boone. There is no way that an injury that required surgery less than two weeks after the conclusion of the season did not negatively impact Volpe’s play. Furthermore, he received two cortisone shots during the season and both times, his play improved. That is what my friend Roger, a retired prosecutor, would call evidence.

Regardless of how much Volpe’s injury affected his play in 2025, it will affect his play in 2026. He will not be able to resume hitting until February and cannot dive after balls until at least April. That means he will not be starting the season on the active roster. Someone else will be playing shortstop on Opening Day of 2026. Boone stated that Volpe would be in the mix to become the starting shortstop after he returns from the IL. I think the Yankees should be very cautious with Volpe’s recovery. That would be advantageous to both the team and Volpe. He has minor league options. So, after he completes his rehab assignment, he could play in Scranton for a while to slowly rehabilitate and to work on improving his game. Rushing him back would not seem to be a very wise idea.

In the meantime, who will play shortstop for the 2026 Yankees? There are a few options. The Yankees acquired Jose Caballero from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. Overall, in 2025, he batted .236 with an OPS of 686. He had five home runs and 36 RBI. However, he led the Major Leagues in stolen bases with 49.  He was thrown out 11 times. So, he was thrown out three more times than Volpe but had 31 more stolen bases. That's a pretty good ratio. Oswaldo Cabrera, who seems to be more of a utility player, could also hold down the fort at shortstop until Volpe returns. That is incumbent upon him recovering fully from the terrible injury that he suffered early in 2025. I know there are some people who may say that the Yankees should bring up George Lombard, Jr. if he does well in spring training. That would be a disaster. He is not ready. He did not hit very well in AA. However, he did show signs of developing and was very young compared to the other players in the league. There is no rush. He should do what he did in 2025 and begin next season in AA. Once he demonstrates that he has mastered that league, he can move up to AAA. He probably won't be ready for the Major Leagues, if he ever is, until 2027. That is the right way to do it.

Another option would be to sign Bo Bichette, who will be a free agent. That would serve two purposes. First, it would improve the Yankees and second, it would weaken the Blue Jays. Bichette will turn 28 in March of 2026. He is older than Volpe but younger than Caballero. In 2025, he batted .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI before his season ended in early September due to an injury. Some people have a lot of concern regarding Bichette’s defense. However, Volpe tied for the American League lead in errors with 19. It would be hard to say that Bichette would be a major downgrade from Volpe. He might even be better. Besides, Bichette’s batting average was over 100 points higher than Volpe’s in 2025.  Bichette is a right-handed hitter, who actually hits. Having him on the team would provide some balance to the lineup.

If the Yankees did sign Bichette, it would cause some ripples to the Yankees current and future roster. What would happen to Volpe? What would happen to George Lombard, Jr.? I don't think the Yankees should worry about those issues. When Volpe is healthy, if he demonstrates that he can hit and field proficiently in Scranton, a decision will be made at that point. Perhaps the Yankees could trade him. Perhaps he could come up as a utility infielder for a stretch. Perhaps either Chisholm or whoever is playing third base would be injured and Volpe could fill in there. The Yankees need to construct the best team possible for 2026 and beyond. As far as George Lombard, Jr. is concerned, he will not be in the Bronx anytime soon. If he is ready to come to the Major Leagues at some point in the next year or two, decisions can be made then. Perhaps the Yankees won't sign Chisholm to an extension and Lombard could be the next second basement. Perhaps he could be the shortstop and Bichette could shift to second base. There will be ways to work things out.

Jose Caballero can remain a backup infielder and outfielder and a pinch runner next season. He can definitely play a major role on the team. However, the Yankees need to make a real upgrade. This is their opportunity to do so, and they should not hesitate. The starting shortstop for the 2026 New York Yankees should be Bo Bichette.