Anyone's Better Than Anthony Volpe

Will the Yankees finally snag Brendan Donovan, or are we all just starring in another winter rerun of “Cashman Does Nothing”?

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand is once again playing matchmaker, tossing the Yankees’ name into the Brendan Donovan sweepstakes. The Cardinals seem ready to part ways with Brendan, mostly because he’s still cheap, productive, and therefore—naturally—on the block. St. Louis is coming off a lukewarm 78–84 “meh” season, and nothing says retool like sending away one of your actually good players.

Donovan will be 29 on Jan. 16, which in baseball years is basically his prime. He’s also under team control through 2027, which is GM catnip. Meanwhile, the Yankees are staring at shortstop again, mostly because Anthony Volpe won’t be back from shoulder surgery for a bit… and also because, well, he hasn’t exactly lived up to the brochure. The kid sucks.

Rumors have tied the Yankees to Bo Bichette—which makes perfect sense because he’s, you know, good. And then there’s my personal favorite, Ha-Seong Kim. The Yankees should’ve gotten him last offseason, but Cashman famously moves at the speed of a DMV line, so here we are. If Donovan doesn’t happen? Don’t worry—Cashman will fall back on his favorite offseason strategy: inertia.

Gone are the days when George Steinbrenner breathed fire down Cashman’s neck and forced actual roster improvement. Now we get “Zen Cashman,” who convinces himself Volpe is just fine and that José Caballero will blossom when he fills in. Plus, I’m personally already daydreaming about George Lombard Jr., give or take the usual Yankee prospect timeline.

But in my universe? Caballero stays put, they stop pretending Ryan McMahon is anything other than a baseball-playing cardboard cutout, and they go get Donovan.

Because let’s be honest: Donovan is a clear upgrade. He hits left-handed—something Volpe and Caballero do not—and he actually punishes right-handed pitching. A career .812 OPS against righties, eight of his 10 homers off them last season, and an .853 OPS in 2025? Yeah, sign me up.

But despite all that logic, somehow this infield that was a catastrophe last winter is STILL a catastrophe, and Cashman seems determined to keep the tradition alive. I like Donovan. I really do. But I’ve seen enough offseasons to know hope is dangerous.

My wallet says Bo Bichette.
My brain says Ha-Seong Kim.
My heart? Brendan Donovan.

Will any of it happen? With this front office? Flip a coin. And assume it lands on its side.