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A New York Yankees hat and glove
The New York Yankees put together a quiet all-around MLB offseason.
Headlining the offseason was the move to re-sign star outfielder Cody Bellinger. However, outside of that, the Yankees didn’t do much.
Brian Cashman opted to take a much less aggressive approach than past years. He is focused on current players coming back from injury or taking the next step and improving. It’s a bold strategy, but it is one that could pay off for the franchise.
One key player for the upcoming 2026 season will be shortstop Anthony Volpe. While he will miss time to begin the year, New York is going to need an improved version of the young infielder in order to be a legitimate World Series contender.
With that being said, fans have begun getting frustrated with Volpe already. Some trade rumors have even come up that would see the Yankees replace the shortstop.
New York Yankees Connected to Potential CJ Abrams Trade
Throughout the course of the offseason, a potential New York trade for Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was brought up on multiple occasions.
Once again, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer brought up the idea in a February 24 column.
“So, why not swing for the fences with a trade for Abrams?” Rymer wrote.
“The 2024 All-Star is good for a 20-20 season and around 3 WAR annually, though any team acquiring him will remember his demotion after a reported late-night casino visit in Washington and expect him to avoid similar headlines in a market like New York.”
Abrams is an incredibly talented young player. At 25 years old, he has a very bright future ahead of him. However, the idea of moving on from Volpe after just three years and replacing him with Abrams simply doesn’t make sense.
Why Moving on from Anthony Volpe Would Be a Mistake
Just a couple of short years ago, Volpe was viewed around the league as an up-and-coming star. It’s way too early to ditch him after just three Major League seasons.
Adding more into the reasoning, Abrams is coming off of a 2025 season with the Nationals that saw him play in 144 games. He hit 19 home runs to go along with 60 RBI, 31 stolen bases, and a slash line of .257/.315/.433.
On the other hand, Volpe played in 153 games. He hit 19 home runs to go along with 72 RBI and 18 stolen bases, while also slashing .212/.272/.391.
Those numbers are eerily similar. Abrams is not a clear-cut upgrade from Volpe.
Unless the Yankees have an opportunity to make a big upgrade, they should not give up on Volpe. He’s still just 24 years old with plenty of time to get his career on track.
Things may not have started fast for him in New York, but the talent and potential that made him such a big-name prospect are still very clear.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
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