Yankees’ Caballero focused on what he can control as Volpe looms
TAMPA – Sunday wasn’t the first time José Caballero was asked to address the elephant in the room, and it won’t be the last.
The elephant, of course, is Anthony Volpe, who had shoulder surgery in October. The 24-year-old nearly strangled himself at the Yankees’ shortstop position despite three years of disappointing offense and drastic defensive regression last season — Volpe played with a torn labrum for months — but will begin 2026 on the injured list due to his procedure.
Caballero, primarily used as a pesky, speedy utilityman during his first three seasons with the Mariners, Rays and Yankees, is expected to fill in briefly before Volpe returns, perhaps sometime in April. The question is whether last season’s stolen base leader can do enough in that span to keep Volpe from getting the job back.
“It’s out of my control,” Caballero said Sunday after hitting a solo homer in the Yankees’ spring training loss to the Mets. “I control what I can control. I’m going to go out there and do my best every day, and they make the decisions.”
He added: “I have nothing further to say about this. »
A solo shot for José Caballero! 💪 pic.twitter.com/WpVFa6mwC3
– Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 22, 2026
Caballero, who wouldn’t hurt his case with a little more pop, instead hopes to let his play do the talking.
That strategy worked well last season after the Yankees acquired the 29-year-old from Tampa Bay, as Caballero posted a 134 wRC+ and .828 OPS to go along with three home runs and 15 stolen bases in 40 games for the Bombers. This limited sample size allowed him to get more starts at shortstop in September as Volpe struggled and recovered from a cortisone injection.
But the Yankees returned the job to Volpe at the end of the season, and the former first-round pick started each of their playoff games. Even though Caballero, a good quality defender, outperformed Volpe, it wasn’t that surprising considering how the Yankees talked about both players.
Volpe, for his part, has been strongly supported by Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman throughout his struggles. The Yankees always maintained that, in Cashman’s words, he would be “part of the solution.”
And while Boone and Cashman have slightly softened their commitment to Volpe being locked in at shortstop after his surgery, the manager has also repeatedly said Caballero offers unique value in a reserve role.
Boone did it again Sunday, noting that Caballero “brings a lot of things to the table” that the Yankees “want to have in a late-game bench player.”
“He’s so good at so many different positions. There’s some quick twitch in there,” Boone added when asked what Caballero brought to the team last year. “He’s so dynamic on the base paths. He plays the game with a lot of confidence. Sometimes I have to try to rein in his confidence a little bit, but that’s a gift that he has. Like when he’s out there, he thinks he’s the best player on the field. You have to have that to be a good big league player.”
Based on past comments, it’s entirely possible that Caballero remains an understudy to Volpe, who lined up and recently began his hitting schedule, even if the former is playing well during the latter’s absence. But like Caballero said, that’s not something he’s going to worry about right now.
“I just try to be out there, help the team and do my best every day,” he said.
That effort includes reconnecting with his double play partner, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The two reunited on the Yankees last summer after first getting to know each other in the Diamondbacks farm system. While Boone doesn’t want to overstate the impact that familiarity might have on the infielders, Caballero and Chisholm believe it helps, especially since they will soon leave camp to play for Panama and Great Britain, respectively, in the World Baseball Classic.
“We’re kind of used to each other from our training days in Arizona, so it was easier to feel that comfort and rhythm of playing together again,” Chisholm said Sunday. “We’re just having fun and enjoying every second.”
Caballero added: “It’s a very good combination. Power, speed and dynamics in the middle. I think it’s a great fit for the team.”
Caballero went on to say that his and Chisholm’s mutual understanding makes communication easier. The two did so on Saturday, as a confident Chisholm — preparing for his own pivotal season before entering free agency — said he and Caballero had a “brother-to-brother talk” about playing on New York’s big stage.
The bottom line: both feel ready to take on the challenges that await them.
“A lot of guys get to the big leagues or New York,” Chisholm said, “and try to play a different game and not be themselves. And that’s the best thing about him: He comes in and he’s himself. He’s not afraid to be himself, and that’s what I think helps him with his overall game.”
