Anthony Volpe may not be the Yankees’ shortstop of the future after all.
Some rival scouts are not convinced top Yankees prospect Anthony Volpe will remain at shortstop, believing he ultimately might end up at second or even third base.
One scout compares the 5-foot-11, 180 pound Volpe’s body type to that of Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres, saying his lower half is “thick and will only get thicker.” But the same scout is a huge Volpe fan, saying you might look at him and think he can’t play short, but “every day he does something to beat your ass.”
The Yankees have refrained from shopping in the high-end shortstop market in recent years. And the way the Delbarton product has tore his way through the farm system certainly suggests he could be on the Opening Day 2023 roster.
That said, they have also held onto Oswald Peraza for a reason. And he’s already in the big leagues. He would seem the more logical immediate fit at shortstop (with Isiah Kiner-Falefa still around as cheap insurance) if both will be playing every day.
Our take: Gleyber Torres may be doing just enough down the stretch to stick around this offseason. Anthony Rizzo at first base, Torres at second, Peraza at shortstop, Volpe at third base and figure out a way to get rid of Josh Donaldson. That sounds about right. And then re-sign Aaron Judge, of course.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch.