Yankees' Aaron Boone Issues Another Bold Anthony Volpe Defense

It's no secret that New York Yankees fans and analysts alike think shortstop Anthony Volpe could benefit from some time in the triple-A. They've been calling for Volpe's demotion all season, but one dissenting voice has risen above all the others, and it's the only one that matters: Yankees manager Aaron Boone.

Now, Boone is defending Volpe yet again despite even more struggles in recent games. In an interview with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Boone once again issued a staunch defense of Volpe, claiming he hasn't lived up to expectations that were sky-high.

"First of all, he's a more offensive player than he gets credit for," Boone said. "We just hammer the struggles because, on some level, there were people that anointed him and expected so much. Even though he hasn't come close to realizing what we expect and what he expects offensively — and acknowledging a few weeks this year where he struggled even defensively — he's still a frontline defensive player at a premium position that is offensively somewhat productive."

"Now, he's obviously had a 10-day stretch where he's gone from over a .700 OPS four months into the year to below," he continued. "We want to send that guy down? What planet does that guy get sent down that's a shortstop? I don't know that planet!"