Yankees' Cashman not considering Volpe demotion: 'We believe in him'
The New York Yankees aren't considering a demotion of shortstop Anthony Volpe despite his struggles at the plate.
"We haven't talked about it," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told the New York Post's Joel Sherman.
"I feel like, by far, we believe in him, and, yes, his development continues at the major-league level. There are growing pains, obviously, when you pull the ripcord on somebody's opportunity early, which he did earn (a starting job in spring 2023), but he's still finding his way. But also he's by far our best player at that position (shortstop), and you could argue he's our best player by far in our infield."
Volpe has been inconsistent at the plate during his sophomore campaign, leading to a .247/.297/.383 slash line in 124 games.
Volpe's 2024 monthly splits
MONTH | AVG | OPS | wRC+ |
---|---|---|---|
March/April | .271 | .757 | 118 |
May | .293 | .812 | 128 |
June | .220 | .547 | 50 |
July | .235 | .653 | 81 |
August | .186 | .577 | 61 |
Despite his inconsistent hitting, the 23-year-old has more than made up for it on the other side of the ball, where the 2023 Gold Glove winner is playing above-average defense at one of baseball's toughest positions.
"He's the best shortstop in the league. ... Add it all up, he's a winning player," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday's episode of "Talkin' Yanks."
Volpe has amassed 3.1 fWAR this season, which ranks eighth in the majors among shortstops.