The New York Yankees have stuck by Anthony Volpe despite his struggles. However, they may not be as committed to him as they would have the media and fans believe.
Volpe leads all of baseball in errors. He has never been a great offensive player, but he did have a Gold Glove Award to his name. Now that his defense has also taken a slide, it's hard to justify keeping him in the lineup. The Yankees are reportedly looking for a third baseman at the trade deadline, but they have "checked in" on a potential Volpe replacement, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Noah Hiles.
"Just learned that the Yankees are one of many teams who have checked in on Oneil Cruz," Hiles wrote on X.
Hiles also noted that the Pirates don't expect to trade Cruz before the trade deadline. Cruz is having a down season, but his potential is undeniable. He slashed .259/.324/.449 in his first full, healthy season last year. He started his career as a shortstop, but the Pittsburgh Pirates have him in the outfield now.
The Yankees have no need for him in the outfield, and likely would not have him switch to third base. However, he may be an upgrade over Volpe at shortstop, even during a down year. He is slashing .219/.319/.419 with 16 home runs. He also leads Major League Baseball in stolen bases.
Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp
The Yankees have not expressed any public interest in replacing Volpe. In fact, Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone have defended him despite his poor play this year.
More MLB: Mets hitting coach, ex-Yankees player tabbed as potential Aaron Boone replacement