The Yankees have found their starting shortstop for the remainder of the 2025 season in Jose Caballero, even if manager Aaron Boone is not willing to say that part out loud.
Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline, the 29-year-old utility infielder got his first chance to run with the starting job after the struggling Anthony Volpe was sidelined due to a minor tear in the labrum of his left shoulder that needed a cortisone injection.
What the Yankees got was better than what Volpe provided for the majority of the year.
Caballero is 6-for-18 over the last five games with a home run, two doubles, two RBI, and three stolen bases. He was one of the Yankees’ best players in their 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night, where he cranked his fifth home run of the season off Steven Matz in the seventh inning, then made a run-saving diving stop at short to rob Ceddanne Rafaela and end the eighth inning.
“He’s been good,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Overall, if you add up Tampa and here, he’s really good out there.”
Yet in a time of the season where the Yankees need to roll out their best lineup every night, Boone is still not ready to shelf Volpe for the remainder of the season, even though he has been more of a detriment than anything. The 24-year-old is batting .206 with a .661 OPS on the season and has made a league-worst 19 errors.
Meanwhile, Caballero is batting .262 with an .828 OPS in 31 games.
“We’ll do what’s best every day,” Boone said.
It seems like Caballero is what’s best every day. The Yankees trail the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League East lead by four games with nine to play, and hold the No. 1 Wild Card spot, though the 2.5-game advantage is slim.
