The New York Yankees would do well to replace Anthony Volpe, and a shortstop from one of their rivals up north might be the answer.
Writing for FanSided, Stephen Parello proposed that the Yankees pick up Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette — a two-time All-Star and two-time AL hit leader — during free agency.
"At the end of the day, Bichette would give the Yankees a much higher floor with the same superstar ceiling," Parello wrote. "He'd cost more in terms of cash than Volpe, who becomes arbitration eligible for the first time after this season, but after years of no significant improvement, the cost is warranted to secure a player who can be part of a championship core. Anthony Volpe might be a fine player, but in comparison, he doesn't make the impact the Yankees need."
Bichette is unlikely to be dealt by the trade deadline, but given that the Blue Jays budget might be insufficient to keep him after their recent $500 million deal with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Pinstripes may be worth a look in free agency.
Volpe has shown little growth over his time with the Yankees, and has struggled lately, slashing .128/.263/.234 in his last 15 games with one home run and six RBIs. The 24-year-old doesn't enter free agency himself until 2029, but might be a good fit elsewhere among the infield to make room for Bichette at shortstop. He could also be demoted, which some fans have called for.
Parello pointed out that the challenge with Volpe stems from the Yankees' decision not to pick up a shortstop in the 2021-2022 free agent period, which was rich with talent at the position. The hope was that Volpe or Oswald Peraza would finally make up for the loss of Derek Jeter. That hope appears to have ebbed.
The current Yankees shortstop was recently ejected from a game for the first time in his career, in the ninth inning of Sunday's game against the Oakland Athletics. The ejection followed a strike call that got under his skin, after which he threw his bat and helmet on the ground. This did not affect the Yankees' ability to win the game, which was a runaway at 12-5.
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