Yankees insider reveals likely Anthony Volpe reality for 2026 and beyond

As the offseason questions swirl, one of the biggest things fans have been waiting for is to find out what the New York Yankees' plan is with Anthony Volpe. There's been hope that the club would bring in a veteran to push him. Ha-Seong Kim seems like a perfect option after declining his option in Atlanta. The nuclear option of including Volpe in a blockbuster package for Texas Rangers star Corey Seager is extremely popular.

At minimum, fans can take solace in the fact that we'll see a healthy dose of Jose Caballero at short as Volpe recovers from surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. Many were clamoring for more Caballero while he posted an .828 OPS following the deadline deal that brought him to the Bronx, as Volpe flailed helplessly at the dish and found new ways to make blunders in the field.

But according to Yankees insider Chris Kirschner, a bigger dose of Caballero might be all that we can hope for for the foreseeable future.

Yankees insider Chris Kirschner gives a disappointing update about the Yankees' future plans for Anthony Volpe

Kirschner's update came in a mailbag column for The Athletic (subscription required) in which he was asked how long until the Yankees "give up" on Anthony Volpe. Kirschner cited Volpe's 2024 season, in which he posted 3.5 WAR on the strength of his base running and defense, as well as his youth, as reasons why the Yankees still have faith. But if Volpe doesn't improve at the plate, does that change the calculus? Not quite.

"If Volpe is a similar player to what he was in 2025 — a poor hitter and a poor defender — the Yankees don’t have much choice but to start considering other long-term options. Suppose Volpe is ineffective upon his return from offseason shoulder surgery. We might start to see him lose playing time to José Caballero, who can fill in at the position," Kirschner wrote.

He added, "But we’re likely at least one more season away from the Yankees exploring external options."

Scratch Kim. Scratch Seager. It's not happening. Not now, not in-season. Maybe not even next offseason.

The Yankees, come hell or high water, are determined to make this work with Volpe. They'll cite the shoulder injury as the reason for his poor performance, even though 2025's .212/.272/.391 line was pretty much in line with what he did in 2023 and 2024.

The injury was in his non-throwing shoulder, so it also doesn't explain why he made the third-highest amount of throwing errors in the league, regardless of position.

But the Yankees are a prideful organization. Not in the sense that they're embarrassed that it's been 16 years since they last won a World Series, have been surpassed by the Dodgers as the most globally iconic franchise, or that they're on the verge of being pushed to second-tier status in New York at the hands of the Mets, but in the sense that admitting Volpe isn't working out would mean admitting failure in the entire process and accepting responsibility for many of the above developments.

After all, the Yankees could have had Seager years ago. Instead, they settled for a year of Isiah Kiner-Falefa to keep the seat warm for Volpe, who had become the anointed one. An argument can be made that the decision cost them at least one ring, so they're going to keep forcing the issue with Volpe until something truly breaks.