Sep 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) hits a solo home run during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Insider: Yankees Could Manipulate Anthony Volpe's Service Time

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Feb 11, 2026 10:45 AM ET

The New York Yankees have given Anthony Volpe a three-year rope. 2026 could be year four. While most fans are out, and that wasn't more evident after he was booed out of Yankee Stadium in the ALDS, the organization could use his injury as an excuse to manipulate his service time and extend his time in New York.

The New York Post's Joel Sherman believes this could be a possibility. The Yankees have a chance to keep Volpe under team control through 2029, he says.

"A player continues to accrue service time while on the major league injured list. But if Caballero is playing well, could the Yankees actually send Volpe to the minors upon his activation from the injured list," Sherman writes.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"Volpe currently would be a free agent after the 2028 season. But if he spends even 20 days in the minors, the earliest he could be a free agent is after the 2029 campaign. That matters to his salaries moving forward. It also could impact his trade value if the Yankees go that way because teams are always looking to have more control years when they obtain a player."

A Poor 2025

For now, unless the Yankees make a big-time deal for a shortstop, the job is Jose Caballero's to lose. The Yankees showed they were willing to give Caballero the job at the end of last season, when the team gave him some runway at the position for a short time.

The job ultimately went back to Volpe in September, but it was the first time they had shown any reluctance toward their former top prospect. Not only did Volpe have another poor showing at the plate, posting an 83 wRC+ last season, but his defense also degraded.

While Volpe was never a great hitter, defense was always his calling card. That wasn't the case in 2025. Volpe went from 13 Outs Above Average at short in 2024 to -6 in 2025.

Boone Still Believes

Even with an ugly 2025 for Volpe that saw the infielder get benched for the first time, Boone still gave him high praise recently.

"This game is filled with talented people, where it's not always linear. It's said a lot, but it's very true," Boone told MLB Network Radio. "People's journeys and tracks to become finished products are different a lot of times. You want your highly touted guys or guys talked about or high draft picks that get to the big leagues and bloom, it just takes off, and they're all stars, and they run with it."

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