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The New York Yankees need a third baseman, and after news that Oswaldo Cabrera is not expected to return this season, the issue becomes even more urgent. Jake Elman of Athlon Sports proposed an interesting solution to the Yankees’ problem: trading their young shortstop, Anthony Volpe, to the Atlanta Braves.
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The Yankees would receive Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies in return for Volpe, with no other players involved in the trade. Albies is a three-time All-Star and has two club options to extend his contract through 2027.
Elman would go on to say that making a deal involving Volpe would be incredibly dangerous with a lack of depth behind him at shortstop. Acquiring Albies would certainly shuffle Jazz Chisholm back to third base or return him to shortstop, a position he has not played since 2021.
Moving on from Volpe would open the gate for Yankees No. 1 prospect George Lombard Jr. to take the reins at shortstop for the Bronx Bombers. Lombard is currently in Double-A and is not ready to make the jump this season. MLB Pipeline has Lombard’s ETA set for 2027, but it could be expedited to next season if there is a need at the major league level.
Entering Wednesday, Volpe is hitting .235 with six home runs on the season and has cooled off since his hot start to the season. Volpe has shown flashes of talent, and moving on from him is a major risk to make, but if the Yankees believe that Albies can help them win the World Series for the first time since 2009, then they may just pull the trigger to acquire the three-time All-Star.
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