The New York Yankees are not likely to trade for a shortstop at the trade deadline. However, they could explore replacing Anthony Volpe in free agency.
Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie, but his offense has yet to develop into anything the Yankees can rely on. He is slashing .228/.311/.412 this season. He does have nine home runs and a career high .723 OPS. However, the Yankees could look to find an upgrade at what is a premium position.
The upcoming free agent class has one very interesting option, and that is Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays may not be able to pay Bichette after signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a $500 million deal. However, the Yankees could pay him among the best shortstops in baseball. FanSided's Stephen Parello suggested the Yankees replace Volpe with Bichette in the offseason.
"At the end of the day, Bichette would give the Yankees a much higher floor with the same superstar ceiling," wrote Parello. "He'd cost more in terms of cash than Volpe, who becomes arbitration eligible for the first time after this season, but after years of no significant improvement, the cost is warranted to secure a player who can be part of a championship core. Anthony Volpe might be a fine player, but in comparison, he doesn't make the impact the Yankees need."
Volpe is not going to be a free agent until 2029. The Yankees could look to move him over to second base in order to facilitate Bichette playing shortstop. However, a move to add a bat like Bichette's would be huge for the Yankees' offense.
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Bichette is a two-time All-Star and has led the American League in hits twice in his career. He is slashing .272/.311/.427 in what is a contract year. He has 11 home runs on the year as well. While his defense may not be as good as Volpe's what he brings to the plate is well worth it.
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