![]() ![]() So, in short, it’s looking like the organization might have to look to the trade market to fill those holes. The dismissals of depth pieces Tyler Wade and Andrew Velazquez have left the Yankees even more woefully thin on the infield, with an out-of-position Gio Urshela and defensive-butcher Gleyber Torres as the only players on the Major League roster semi-capable of playing shortstop. Again, if that is the case Volpe should begin working out at second base immediately.After sitting idly by and watching while the Texas Rangers doled out their second massive contract to an infielder in 24 hours - this time to Corey Seager, who checked basically every box the Yankees had entering this offseason - New York needs to get creative to fix its infield problems. The potential complexity would only occur if the Yankees believe Peraza is a sufficiently good prospect that he and Volpe need to both be in the lineup long term. If he seems he has the potential to be a slightly better than average big league shortstop but not much more, then the Yankees may want to start the season with him, but should be prepared to phase Volpe in by mid-season. The second issue is how good the Yankees project Peraza to be. However, if the Yankees think shortstop will be Volpe’s big league position, then they should not move him around the field. If he cannot, then he should immediately move to second base, and efforts to trade Gleyber Torres should be accelerated. First, is the issue of whether or not Volpe can play shortstop at the big league level. The choice between these two should be based on a handful of considerations. The shortstop question really comes down to Peraza and Volpe. If the Yankees believe Volpe cannot stick at shortstop at the big league level, then it makes sense for him to begin working at the position, probably second base, they think will be his eventual landing place, but given that he only played shortstop in the minors last year, there is little reason to think the Yankees see him as anything other than a shortstop. ![]() A player with his potential should not be spending his time learning a position, like leftfield or second base, if he will only play there for a few months. Moving him around to get his bat in the lineup is alluring, but in the long run the small benefit from that is not worth the potential damage to Volpe’s career. ![]() This means that if the Yankees see Volpe as their future shortstop, then by midseason, unless he is hurt or takes a big step backwards in the minors, he should be in that role. Second tier players, like Cabrera and Kiner-Falefa should be moved around to facilitate what is best for Volpe, not the other way around. When you have a prospect like Volpe, there is a danger in moving him around too much, not being clear on his role or otherwise being inconsistent. However, Kiner-Falefa is not overpaid by the standards of baseball in general, so exploring a trade netting either prospects or possibly a left fielder is the best way to address this problem. Space under that cap is valuable and using even a few million of that on a position player who the team does not feel can be a starter is a mistake. Signing Kiner-Falefa also pushes the Yankees closer to the top salary cap threshold of $293 million. With the emergence of Cabrera, and the presence of DJ LeMahieu on the team, the Yankees do not need another versatile backup infielder-and that is the role for which Kiner-Falefa is best suited. ![]() The money may not be a lot to pay Kiner-Falefa if he is the team’s starting shortstop, but it was apparent in the 2022 postseason that the Yankees do not have much confidence in him for that role. First, signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to one year $6 million contract this offseason was a mistake. There are several things I have seen and heard from the Yankees thus far that are concerning. ![]()
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