The New York Yankees have a hole at third base, but they could also be looking for a new shortstop. While Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone have both stood by Anthony Volpe, his play is not helping the team right now.
Volpe leads the American League in errors with 12. After winning a Gold Glove as a rookie, his defense was seemingly one thing the team could rely on. However, this year, his poor defense along with below-average offense has made it tough for the Yankees to justify keeping him in the lineup.
Part of the reason he is in the lineup every day is that the Yankees do not have anyone else. However, with the trade deadline approaching, the Yankees could bring in another option to share the position, or even replace Volpe. FanSided's Rucker Haringey suggested Ramón Urías of the Baltimore Orioles.
Urías has only played 61 games at shortstop in his career, but there are not many true shortstops available on the market. The Orioles are set up to be sellers, but the Yankees do not need Urías to be an elite player. If he can be an average defender, he would be an upgrade.
"He probably isn't anything more than a slightly below-average defender at short but he looks more reliable than Volpe does at the moment," wrote Haringey. "The Yankees don't need him to win a Gold Glove but they do need someone who can make the routine plays on a more routine basis. The question on Urias is whether or not his struggles at the plate this season are real or just the product of some random outcomes. A mild uptick in performance during the second half would give the Yankees' offense some meaningful gains. Trading for Urias does not project as a needle-moving transaction but it might be a good short-term fix for manager Aaron Boone's club."
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Urías's offense is not great, but neither is Volpe's. As long as he can make the plays Volpe cannot, he would be a valuable addition. Adding a player like Urías could actually allow Aaron Boone to get Volpe out of the lineup if the team has had enough.
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