Aaron Judge makes surprisingly impassioned case for Yankees to call up Anthony Volpe

I guess ... this is the type of thing that Captain Aaron Judge does now? Speaks his mind to put a little elbow grease into pressuring the front office? Don't hate it! Not sure it'll work, but do not hate it.

The loudest story out of Yankees camp so far hasn't been the powerhouse left field competition, though everyone involved there from Aaron Hicks to Willie Calhoun has been drilling baseballs. No, all eyes have instead been on shortstop, where Oswald Peraza has been capably manning the position (prior to succumbing to a minor foot injury).

Often beside him at second base and occasionally in his place, Anthony Volpe has been the standout star of this spring's early games, and has certainly put excess pressure on the Bombers while Gleyber Torres is away with Team Venezuela. Could both prospects be brought north with the team, while Torres is traded? Are Isiah Kiner-Falefa's days numbered?

And, perhaps with a little more spice to it, does Volpe do enough defensively that he should be the future at short, Torres (and Oswaldo Cabrera) should handle second, and Peraza should be dealt altogether for a pitcher?

Many permutations, all of them confusing, but whatever the outcome, Volpe clearly should be at the big-league level ... at least, as soon as his service time concerns expire at the end of April. As if Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman needed a reminder of how excellent the shortstop's been, Aaron Judge went out of his way on Wednesday to push them in the right direction.

Yankees captain Aaron Judge says Anthony Volpe's age doesn't matter

"My thing has always been..." huh? Hmm. Maybe Judge was the one who finally got Brian Cashman to promote Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera last summer. That worked out nicely.

While Volpe's age might not matter to the Yankees, either, the extra year before his free agency arrives sure does. Despite his clear starpower and phenomenal makeup that's been on display so far this spring, it still feels like the earliest possible moment of his arrival will be late April, following the Gleyber Torres promotion timeline from 2018.

Or maybe you listen to your Captain, he kicks in a little of his contract to sweeten the Yankees' eventual Volpe extension offer, and we go from there?