Why the Yankees Anthony Volpe should be on the trading block
Which teams will meet in the World Series? Are the WNBA players serious?
Good morning, all! I hope you are getting ready for the weekend. I am by preparing to broadcast three Hartford Yard Goats games against the Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots. It should be a fun three games at Dunkin’ Park.
Now that you have stopped laughing over the headline, hear me out. The suggestion that the Yankees should trade shortstop Anthony Volpe is not as far fetched as you might think. In first place for most of the season, the Yankees have dropped into second place, two games behind the first place Blue Jays and just one ahead of the on-charging Red Sox, who have won 10 straight.
Here me out on this. With a brutal 13-game stretch before the July 31 deadline, the Yankees have several needs to shore up a flagging lineup, pitching among them. What if the Yankees were able to get a good starting pitcher for Volpe? I don’t say top-of-the-line rotation guy because I don’t think Volpe, currently batting .214 with 10 HR and 49 RBI, could net a top pitcher, unless he was part of a package deal that included prospects, something not out of the realm of possibility.
If the Yankees dealt Volpe for a solid starter and then made a package deal with the Colorado Rockies for third baseman Ryan McMahon, they might be poised to make a run at the Blue Jays and stave off the Red Sox. As currently constituted, however, I do not think New York is a lock to defend the A.L. East. Certainly they will not run away with the division, even if they do finish first. I have stated that repeatedly, even when they were in first, and you do not have to check the standings do realize I wasn’t as off base as some suggested.
Think about it? If the Yankees were so high on Volpe, a 2019 first round draft pick, why did they draft Trey Sweeney, a shortstop, in the first round of the 2021 draft? Sweeney, by the way, is now playing short for the Detroit Tigers, owners of the best record in baseball. Why did they draft a shortstop, George Lombard Jr., in the first round of the 2024 draft? (I will see Lombard this weekend, as he now plays for Somerset?) Why were their first two picks of the just-concluded draft shortstops?
Volpe’s market value may never be higher. He is 24 and may be attractive to other clubs. Meanwhile, who do the Yankees replace Volpe with? Oswald Peraza and his .149 average, that’s who. Remember, Peraza and Volpe were vying for the shortstop job, but the Yankees brass was always in love with Volpe. Injuries then sidelined Peraza, but he is healthy now and has been playing a solid, defensive third base. However, third base is a power-and-defense position and that is where McMahon comes in. You move Peraza to short, where I believe he is a better defensive shortstop than Volpe, watch his offensive come around now that he is playing his natural position everyday, and use Volpe to get a much needed pitcher.
Put it this way, the Yankees have a valuable trade chip in Volpe and if they do not spend it now, the defending A.L. champs could be on the outside looking in.
Quiz
Now that the baseball draft is over, since its inception in 1965, which college or university has had the most players drafted in the first round? Answer below.
Speaking of the draft
Here is a breakdown of states and regions from where the players were drafted.
Here are some other stories that caught my eye for Friday, July 18,2025:
Now that the All-Star game is over and MLB’s second-half starts tonight, I asked AI which teams are the favorites to meet in the World Series? Turns out it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers. I cannot argue with that.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says ESPN, NBC and Apple are all in the running for the baseball TV package ESPN opted out of, after this season. I will have more to say about this in an upcoming video, because what the commissioner did not say was very telling.
Viewership of St. Louis Cardinals games is up, but attendance is down. And we are supposed to be surprised about this, why? The Cardinals are playing better than expected, but even with the paradigm shifting on how we consume our sports, it is still easier to watch a game at home, than battling traffic, parking, high concession and ticket prices, etc. to attend a game. Fans need a real reason to go out to the ballpark and despite their better-than-expected-play, the Cardinals haven’t given them one yet.
WNBA players not happy with the labor deal being offered by the league. They have some legitimate gripes, however, - and I could be dead wrong about this - if the players go on strike, they will learn how quickly that out of sight means out of mind even with Caitlin Clark.
Got to love these websites. The CBS Sports website has five players tied for the lead after the first round of the British Open. True. Only one of them is mentioned. Instead the headline is about Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. I think I’m going to watch the Barracuda Championship.
Quiz answer
Stamford with 33, including this season, when the Texas Rangers selected Malcolm Moore. Coming in second with 30 first round picks is Arizona State, including Reggie Jackson, who was the second overall pick in 1966.
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DAN