Just Play Caballero
- E.J. Fagan
- Aug 28
- 2 min read
By E.J. Fagan
August 28, 2025
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NOTE: The following comes from EJ Fagan's substack page and is shared with permission.
Please check out EJ's substack page for more great articles.
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Anthony Volpe is starting at shortstop again. It’s the wrong decision. Jose Caballero should play pretty much every game.
I’m no Volpe hater. I’ve written on this blog that I think that Volpe is at least a major league player, especially if his defense reverts to form. He might even still have the potential to be better than that, but right now this he’s a well below average hitter with poor defense:
I think that we’re going to find out after the season is over that he’s been playing hurt all year. Regardless, the Yankees didn’t have much choice before the trade deadline. His .669 OPS was MVP-level compared with Oswald Peraza’s performance.
But now they have an alternative:
Caballero is no all star. Like Volpe, he’s a below average hitter. But, he is a much better defensive player in 2025, a better baserunner, and a real pest. He’s an incredibly talented base stealer, allowing his .334 OBP to play up a bit. Plus, he’s been great (in just 17 games) for the Yankees. I think that he’s pretty clearly better than Volpe right now.
What’s the argument against playing him right now? Volpe might suddenly learn to hit and break out? That makes no sense. Bench versatility? Caballero can either move mid-game or you could use Amed Rosario as a superutility. Volpe can come off the bench and play short after pinch running for someone.
The weird thing is that Aaron Boone clearly loves Caballero. He’s glowing every time that he makes a public remark about him.
Volpe should start at shortstop against left-handed starting pitching, with Caballero playing another position for one of the lefties. He should sit against righty starters. This shouldn’t be a difficult decision.
every word you said is correct!! i am not saying at all to give up on Volpe, but WHY seriously WHY are they soooooooo willing to put Jdom on the bench but refuse to do it with Volpe?
I really would like to have that explained!!
Jdom has not been great on defense, clearly. but he is miles and miles ahead of Volpe as a hitter. his approach to hitting is WAYYYYYYY more professional and mature than Volpe's.
if they can sit Jdom because it is playoff time then VERY CLEARLY Volpe should sit!!
Volpe is the embodiment of the Yankees' stubbornness regarding specific players. He is home-grown, over-hyped from the beginning and a fan favorite, hence he is publicly praised by the manager and often in the lineup despite his defense and hitting woes. He is certainly overrated, and he will not be replaced by Caballero on any regular basis. As Boone has opined many times, "it's right in front of us". 😀
Volpe should be optioned. The Yankees are killing any self confidence the young man could possibly have. I don't know where Cashman's head is, but it's not on his job.
I feel bad about Volpe. He obviously has some talent. He has hit over 20 hrs. He will probabley do the same this year. He just cannot put it all together offensively. I believe his defensive decline has been caused by frustration due to his poor hitting. At this point he is an automatic out most of the time. He should not be playing regularly. If the Yankees truly think they have a chance to go far in the payoffs then Volpe should not be playing regularly. Caballero will get on base much more consistently and frequently steal bases. What to do about Volpe in the future. Who knows? He probably needs a personal hitting coach now and in the…
Sorry EJ, but Volpe should not be on this roster at this time. He got himself together over the ASB, but went back into a skid that even Paul O'Neill is pointing out, but once again the Yankees hitting coaches can't correct. To me, the biggest problem of Boone sitting Volpe, is the new officially posted lineup rules that took place a couple of years ago when they made a deal with the betting sites. You can no longer post a lineup officially even 90 minutes before first pitch, it now must be something like 3 hours before and only changed due to a pregame injury. Does anyone out there, knowing this tidbit now actually think that the front of…