Both Hal Steinbrenner and Aaron Boone voiced their support for Anthony Volpe on Tuesday, assuring reporters that there have been no conversations to send down the struggling rookie shortstop.
Sal doesn’t think the Yankees have to demote Volpe, but he believes the 22-year-old would be best served at second base, where a lighter defensive workload may help him thrive at the plate.
“I’m not saying I would send him down, but I would move him off of shortstop for two reasons,” Sal said. “One, he is struggling offensively and defensively. Two, they have [Oswald] Peraza, who is on a tear in Triple-A, and was supposed to be the starting shortstop before Volpe stole it from him in spring training.
“Ultimately, I do think the Yankees are gonna be better off long term with Peraza at short and Volpe at second.”
That would create a logjam at second base with Gleyber Torres at second base, but Sal says the Yankees need to move on from the former All-Star anyway, as he will never return to the player he was in 2018 and 2019.
“Peraza is gonna need a position,” Sal said. “I believe he’s the better shortstop. Why not just move Volpe to second and Peraza to short, and I think they need to move on from Gleyber Torres. He’s a zero.
“He’s a losing player who is gonna cost you more games than he’s gonna win. He’s not a clutch guy. He’s not a good offensive guy in the postseason. He’s had an opportunity to do that and he’s failed.”
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