SSTN Mailbag: Volpe, Coaching Staff, And Untouchable Prospects!

There has been a significant amount of hand-wringing after Brian Cashman's interview at the GM Meetings, and I don't disagree with everything that's been said. Our own Editor-In-Chief, Paul Semendinger, was right on the money with his comments about fundamentals. The Yankees are not a sound fundamental ballclub, and that has been true since at least 2023, and I'd argue it goes back to 2021. However, there were elements of the interview that give me at least some satisfaction that Brian Cashman remains a competent executive.

He noted that he is willing to have his mind changed (and we've seen this in the past; remember when he didn't think it was a problem that the Yankees weren't left-handed enough, then went out and grabbed every power-hitting lefty he could?). He showed humility by making a public plea to past players to call with their ideas and comments. He was reasonably clear-eyed about where the Yankees are thin and need improvement. He very carefully noted that Hal has provided him with a budget, indicating that he is working within some constraints.

I think there's an important distinction to make when we talk about the Yankees and the desire to be great. I think that the Yankees' business executives, from ownership through their VPs, are solely focused on branding and maintaining exorbitant profits. They need to win enough to maintain that, but winning a championship every year isn't a necessity. I think we need to separate the front office baseball staff from that equation. I may disagree with Brian Cashman sometimes. I may disagree with Aaron Boone often. I think both want to win a Championship as their core goal. I don't think they want pretty good, otherwise, why would they be doing their job in the most highly scrutinized market in the game? Ownership and the business suits may not desire greatness, but the overarching sense I get from the baseball people is that they want championships. I just might disagree with how they're going about doing it.

Before we go on, I need to work through a bit of housekeeping. Beginning Monday, I'll be going on the 10-day IL. My expectation is that I'll need the minimum stay on the IL (don't worry, I'm not consulting with the Yankees' medical team), so I'll move back onto the SSTN roster sometime during the week of Thanksgiving. However, it means that you won't see me around for a few days and there will not be an SSTN Mailbag next week. I'm not capable of sitting still for too long, so I'll be back relatively soon after that missed Mailbag.

As always, thanks for the great questions and keep them coming to SSTNReadermail@gmail.com. In this week's SSTN Mailbag, we'll talk about Anthony Volpe, the recent changes to the coaching staff, and my personal list of untouchable prospects! Let's get at it:

James K. asks: What are your thoughts on Anthony Volpe heading into next season? Should the Yankees pencil him in at 2b, at 3b, as a utility man, or as a trade piece?

I am inclined to try to find better solutions at both 2B and 3B, but when you begin looking around the league, the trade and free agent pools are pretty barren. I don't see a ton of upside at 2B looking around the league, but I do think there are some intriguing options at 3B (this will be covered in the next post on my offseason plan). Given that there aren't great options around at 2B, I am inclined to give Volpe one last shot to grab at least a piece of the 2B job.

Under the hood of Volpe's offensive performance last year are some really interesting statistics. Chief among those, for me, was his drastically increased walk rate and improved swing decisions. Despite Volpe's other very middling offensive statistics, he still managed a .321 OBP, which is above the league-average .318 OBP. Volpe was also coming off of shoulder surgery, which almost always impacts pop and power numbers when a player returns.

Then, we have the version of Volpe who returned after getting sent down to AAA. Volpe's mechanics were modified to something much more closely resembling the moves I have been advocating since his rookie season. Volpe was a bit more free-swinging after his call-up, but combining the patience he had shown earlier in the year with the contact profile he showed after his end-of-season call-up would make him a solid offensive contributor.

We also have to understand the offensive environment around the league at 2B. 2B was the second-weakest hitting position on the diamond next to catcher in 2026, producing just a .698 OPS. Volpe only needs to improve very modestly to get to that average production at 2B. In fact, upon his return from AAA, Volpe hit almost exactly to that average OPS. On contact in the strike zone, Volpe hit the ball harder than he had previously, averaging 90+ MPH Exit Velocity on all pitches except for those outside of the zone and on the outside corners. I think Volpe is moving in the right direction, and his fielding looked like it could be elite at 2B. A plus defender at 2B and an average bat would make Volpe a well above-average player.

Right now, I'd plan to give Volpe one more shot at 2B. If his newfound plate discipline sticks, with his speed and patience, he might eventually be a valuable lead-off man, though I wouldn't give him that role out of the gate. MLB lead-off hitters produce OBP's around .335, and I think that's a number Volpe is capable of reaching, which would allow the Yankees' boppers to do damage with a runner on-base.

Michael G. asks: The Yankees have seen a host of coaching changes in the last couple of weeks most recently with Brad Ausmus leaving to take the Astros' managing job. Were there any lost opportunities here and how would you fill the vacancies?

From the outside looking in, allowing both of Shelley Duncan and Travis Chapman to get away looks bad. Both were considering either managers or bench coaches in waiting, so to not retain either as both looked for promotions doesn't look great. From everything we know publicly, it seemed as though both were well respected both in the organization and around baseball, so losing both is a real loss.

The Yankees filled Chapman's role with his understudy who has received a lot of credit for the Yankees' catching successes, so I don't think there's a real drop-off there. I have no idea who the Yankees will get to fill Shelley Duncan's role as AAA manager, and I'm sure the Yankees have a better handle on candidates for that role than do I. James Rowson is gone, but Cashman indicated that they were moving in a different direction there as well. I think it's possible that the entire Yankee hitting staff in the big league dugout will be different next year, and from the rumors, it sounds like the Yankees are talking to recent Dodgers hitting coach, Aaron Bates.

As for the bench coach, I like two names from the recent past, and I fully expect one of them to become the next bench coach: Joe Espada or Carlos Mendoza.

Espada was a mainstay on the Yankees' coaching staff under Joe Girardi, and led the infield in addition to his 3B Coach responsibilities. He also recently successfully managed a couple of Astros teams with significant talent gaps to respectable seasons amidst significant organizational turmoil. He's spent significant time around good coaching staffs and has long been highly regarded for his commitment to detail. Espada spent years in the Yankee system, and that would likely be a comfortable landing spot for him.

Mendoza was the Yankees' bench coach before Brad Ausmus, and if we're being completely objective, the Yankees' fundamentals took a further turn for the worse after Mendoza left to become the Mets' manager. Mendoza is a baseball lifer who over a decade in the Yankees' system. He's already committed to serve as 3B Coach for the Phillies, but technically he couldn't be barred from interviewing as this would be considered a promotion.

My money is on Joe Espada to be the Yankees' Bench Coach in 2027.

Alan B. asks: Andy, who are your untouchable prospects, as I don't see any Paul Skenes or Juan Soto types becoming available to make everyone available. Mine are only Dax Kilby & Carlos Lagrange. Also, just under them are Ben Hess & [Yostin] Pena, and I think BC's tough to trade prospect is Jackson Lovich - Power ✔️ High K Rate ✔️ BC's kind of offensive player.. oh, and his defensive spot is up for debate.

I think my only untouchable prospect is Dax Kilby. He's the best all-around prospect I've seen come through the system since the Baby Bombers, and I think the Yankees know what they have. Teams around the league realized very, very quickly that Kilby was undervalued in the draft, and the Yankees are reaping the benefits. He looks like he'll be a very fast riser through the system, and he really opened eyes in the Arizona Fall League this year.

Beyond Kilby? I think I'd be willing to talk about anyone else in the system. I'd want very valuable returns for Lagrange, Rodriguez, the Penas (Wilberson de Pena and Yostin), Richard Matic, and Ben Hess. That said, the system is thin at the moment, and while there are guys I like, there are precious few that I wouldn't deal for immediate MLB help for a roster that isn't far from contention.