Boone's Volpe Obsession Is Showing & It's Getting Old

Anthony Volpe’s minor league exile lasted all of seven days. With Jose Caballero diagnosed with a broken right middle finger, the Yankees recalled their struggling shortstop from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ahead of Tuesday’s game in Baltimore — right in the middle of a four-game skid, because apparently that’s the perfect moment to bring back a guy who was rehabbing and sucking at it. 

Aaron Boone’s justification? A masterclass in saying nothing with a lot of words: Volpe got “a number of at-bats,” “a lot of reps,” “a lot of playing time” — basically a “more than a full spring training.” Cool. So, Volpe took some grounders and saw some pitching in Triple-A for a week. That’s the bar now.

Here’s what Boone conveniently glossed over: the error at shortstop. Getting picked off first base. Jogging around second while watching a Spencer Jones fly ball like a tourist while not running hard to get to home plate. These aren’t mechanical slumps you fix with a week of reps — they’re baseball IQ problems, and those don’t get ironed out between bus rides in the minors.

And here’s the thing — the Yankees don’t even need Volpe to replace Caballero. Ryan McMahon or Max Schuemann is the better defensive option and can slide into short. Amed Rosario can cover third while McMahon shifts to short. The pieces are already there. But Boone didn’t go that route, because this was never really about filling a roster hole.

This is about Aaron Boone’s bizarre, inarticulate commitment to Anthony Volpe — a crusade to convince a skeptical fanbase that this kid belongs, even as Boone himself can’t explain why with any coherence beyond word salad about “reps” and “playing time.”

“I would expect Anthony to play a lot,” Boone declared. Why? Why, Aaron? That question will remain unanswered, because a real answer doesn’t exist.

Caballero reportedly tried to push through it and play. He wanted to be out there for the Yankees, after all, he earned his spot.  But Boone shut that down — “We just didn’t want to risk him doing something more to it where it becomes something he had to deal with all summer.” Fine, protecting a player is reasonable. But if you’re going to be that cautious and deliberate about one roster decision, maybe apply that same energy to figuring out why you’re so hellbent on running Volpe out there every day when better options are sitting right in your own dugout.

I am so over this manager and Volpe is a waste.  Filling this hole at short and Volpe going 0-4 day in and day out is just as bad as Caballero playing hurt. The difference? Jose could probably still produce hurt. Volpe? He’s just past his time.