The New York Yankees can keep pretending Anthony Volpe is their long-term shortstop, or they can finally admit what the numbers—and now the market—are yelling: keeping him there is no longer feasible. Three seasons into his big-league career, Volpe hasn’t taken a step forward offensively, regressed badly on defense, and become a glaring October liability for a franchise that claims it is desperate to win a World Series.
Volpe wasn’t just mediocre in 2025. He was one of the worst everyday shortstops in baseball. And for a Yankees team that hasn’t even reached the Fall Classic in 16 years, the margin for error at premium positions is gone.
That’s why the Yankees are circling the shortstop market again. And this time, everything points to a decision they’ve avoided for too long.
They must move on.
Volpe’s Decline Has Become Impossible to Ignore
For two years, the Yankees sold Volpe as a player whose defense made up for his bat. But even that collapsed last season. Volpe led all of MLB with 19 errors and posted a .212 average with a .663 OPS—almost identical to his .662 career OPS. Even supporters admit he hasn’t hit enough to justify keeping him locked into one of the most critical jobs on the field.
New York tried to protect him by citing a shoulder issue from early in the season, but even that excuse didn’t change anything. His offensive output stayed nearly identical. His defensive lapses worsened, and his development stalled.
Everything about 2025 screamed that Volpe’s trajectory isn’t trending upward. It’s flat.
And the Yankees, publicly and privately, know they don’t have time to wait.
The Market Is Telling the Yankees to Upgrade
As soon as the Rangers’ intent to cut payroll leaked, executives around the league immediately connected one name to the Yankees: Corey Seager.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer predicted the Yankees would target the $325 million star to replace Volpe. International outlets echoed the same conclusion, including MARCA, which reported New York is “ready to move on from Volpe” after his disastrous 153-game season.
Fans have reached that point. Sportskeeda captured reactions across X, with many openly begging New York to upgrade: “Anything is better than Volpe,” one fan wrote. Others noted Seager’s price and injury history—but even skeptics acknowledged the talent gap.
Seager isn’t perfect. He’s owed $186 million over the next six years. He hasn’t played 130 games since 2021. But he is a five-time All-Star, a two-time World Series MVP, and one of the best left-handed hitters in the sport. That’s the kind of player who changes the trajectory of a franchise, not one who stalls it.
Even if the Yankees pivot to Bo Bichette or another elite option this winter, the principle remains the same. They need a real shortstop. They need impact and someone who isn’t dragging down the lineup or costing them outs in the field.
Volpe isn’t that player.
The Yankees Can’t Keep Hoping for a Breakout
This decision defines Brian Cashman’s offseason. Riding with Volpe again would signal more denial, more nostalgia, and more wasted seasons. Moving on—via trade, position change, or packaging him in a blockbuster—would signal the opposite.
The Yankees talk every offseason about being all-in.
This is the moment to act like it, finally.
It’s time to get rid of the Anthony Volpe experiment at shortstop and get a player who can actually push them back toward the World Series.
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