The New York Yankees have a pressing need at shortstop, and they can not bank heavily on prospect Anthony Volpe.
The New York Yankees have been the story of the Hot Stove season before it entered the lockout, but for sitting idle while a bunch of the top free agents signed elsewhere. General manager Brian Cashman said that the team needed to address the shortstop position entering the 2022 campaign, but have failed to do so.
With the Yankees, there is a ton of hype surrounding top shortstop prospect Anthony Volpe, with Jim Callis of MLB.com predicting him to be the top minor league player in all of baseball by the end of the 2022 season.
While it is entirely possible that Volpe could turn out to be a cornerstone for the franchise, they can not bank too heavily on his prospects, especially with Carlos Correa available.
Yankees can’t bank too heavily on Anthony Volpe with Carlos Correa available
Volpe is coming off a solid 2021 season, where he slashed .294/.423/.604 while recording 27 home runs, 86 RBI, 121 hits and 33 stolen bases in 109 games. The thing is, Volpe is not projected to be called up to the Bronx in 2022. MLB.com lists his ETA as 2023.
The Yankees allowed Didi Gregorius to walk at the end of the 2019 season, and began their experiment of moving Gleyber Torres from second base to shortstop. That move failed to pan out, with Torres moving back to second at the end of this past season.
New York watched as three of the top free agent shortstops signed before the lockout was enforced. The Detroit Tigers signed Javier Baez to a six-year deal while the Texas Rangers signed Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to long-term contracts.
Correa is firmly the top available player at his position. He is coming off a strong 2021 campaign prior to entering free agency. The Houston Astros infielder recorded a .279 batting average, a .850 OPS, 26 home runs, 92 RBI and 155 hits. He can hit, but he can also defend, as evidenced by his Gold and Platinum Gloves he won for the 2021 season.
The Yankees should at least entertain the idea of signing Correa. They are coming off a disappointing 2021 season where they were easily eliminated by the rival Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Round. The Yankees need to get better, and signing Correa could help them accomplish that goal.
We will not get a firm idea of the Yankees’ shortstop plans until the lockout is over…whenever that is.