Jack Curry says what every Yankees fan wanted to hear as Anthony Volpe decision looms

24 hours remain for the New York Yankees to get bullied into something they don't really want to do, but entering Sunday's showdown with the Baltimore Orioles, it seems like their Anthony Volpe intentions are clear. According to Jack Curry of the YES Network, Volpe's 20-day rehab clock was not enough to represent a "full spring training" or make the team comfortable with his elevation, and they'll more than likely demote him rather than activate him when time expires.

The signs were there. Aaron Boone was non-committal all week, though cynical fans couldn't help but wonder if it was all for show, given Volpe's long-favored status. Volpe, after playing through a partially torn labrum last year and only succeeding in the immediate wake of cortisone shots, wasn't cleared for contact defensively until late in the spring (and actually, mum was the word on when it actually happened).

Notably, the team also doesn't have much of a need for him right now, as Jose Caballero's energetic intensity has been matched by (maybe not so sustainable) offensive production, punctuated by a long home run on Friday. There will come a time when he slows down (according to the metrics). Maybe that'll be Volpe's time.

For now, if Volpe's only a shortstop, and Caballero doesn't even have an outfielder's glove and hasn't been adapting back into the superutility role he was once known for ... this was the only logical move. And the Yankees seem to have listened to that logic as well.

Yankees plan to leave Anthony Volpe in Triple-A, showing break in pattern that's persisted since 2023

As wild as it sounds, after 2+ years of grief at every turn when it came to Volpe's lack of production and development, it actually feels like he does deserve an earnest Year 4 after so much of Year 3 was torpedoed by the team and marred by a clear shoulder injury that hampered his efforts.

That "earnest" chance involves the Yankees not upsetting the apple cart and inserting him into a well-oiled machine. The (still temporary, mind you) demotion might sting, but it would've hurt way more if the Yankees had inserted Volpe into a process that's been working and thrown an unnecessary wrench into things.

Since the day he was elevated to open the 2023 season, it's felt like they believed he could do no wrong, despite mounting evidence that he was capable of plenty of wrong. Now, it seems like the Yankees instead plan to do the fair and just thing: allow him to work on his new swing out of the spotlight, and keep a fan favorite cooking in his place at the MLB level.