The New York Yankees are still waiting patiently to determine the future of their infield, especially with Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe making the jump permanently in 2023. Reports have indicated that Peraza should have the starting shortstop job locked up over Isiah Kiner-Falefa, making him a trade piece.
General manager Brian Cashman has indicated that the second half of spring training represents more intense trade talks, so he could start negotiating with teams about potential packages to move some of their available infielders.
“I would say typically trade conversations usually are a bit more serious in the second part of camp than the first part. I do know that’s an area of strength for this franchise right now in real time. So if somebody is looking for help, we wouldn’t be surprised if they’re knocking on our door,” Cashman said.
Aside from IKF, Gleyber Torres stands out as a primary asset. Retaining him should be favored, specifically if the team isn’t convinced that Volpe is ready to jump immediately.
The Yankees continue to rave about Anthony Volpe:
However, the team continues to indicate they are impressed by Volpe and his success this spring. Over 20 at-bats, the 21-year-old has posted six hits, five runs, and a homer. He’s also tallied three stolen bases with a .300 average and .391 OBP.
“I’m not surprised he’s played well,’’ said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. “And he’s here for consideration.’’
Even superstar slugger Aaron Judge delivered a pretty obvious take that suggests Volpe should be called up to the MLB now.
“My thing has always been, if you’re the best player, it shouldn’t matter your age, you should be up helping the New York Yankees,’’ said Judge, regardless, “if you’re 19 or if you’re 41.’’
Ultimately, it depends on how the infield log jam unfolds over the next few weeks, but I would not be surprised to see the Yankees execute a trade to get rid of some of their valuable pieces to clear salary space and potentially add a few prospects to the mix.
Torres could easily garner a starting-level player in return, especially since he has a year left of control and will only hit free agency in 2025. IKF is only on a one-year, $6 million deal, so saving his salary allocation is the primary goal in a deal that would send him on his way.
Nonetheless, it feels as though a change of the guard at second base is in the works. Peraza has the short-stop job all but locked up, and Volpe has been getting opportunities at second base during spring training. He’s looked efficient and smooth with his fundamentals, so unless Torres ends up serving as a DH with Giancarlo Stanton playing in the outfield, it is only a matter of time before he’s moved.
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