The New York Yankees designated DJ LeMahieu for assignment on Wednesday after announcing he would be taking on a bench role moving forward on Tuesday. General manager Brian Cashman made a firm decision on Anthony Volpe’s role on the team as well.
It was not an easy decision to designate LeMahieu for assignment. He was still owed $22 million, but it was clear he was no longer going to be able to help the team. After making one tough decision, it’s fair to wonder if the Yankees will make more. Volpe has struggled this season, and perhaps moving him out of a starting role would help the team. However, Cashman made it very clear that Volpe would remain a starter.
“I do have belief and optimism that he will impact us in a really positive way on both sides of the ball,” Cashman told reporters. “He’s our shortstop.”
“I’m not counting him out,” Cashman continued. “I know he’s going to be part of the solution rather than the problem. I know he’s going to be part of the solution rather than the problem.”
LeMahieu was designated for assignment after Aaron Boone announced that Jazz Chisholm Jr. would be playing second base, and that LeMahieu, because of physical challenges, would not factor into the third base plan. LeMahieu was struggling defensively, and his bat was no longer what it was in his prime. Volpe still has promise, so designating him for assignment does not seem to be in the cards. However, it is fair to wonder if he should still be starting.
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Volpe is slashing .217/.293/.393. His bat has not lived up to expectations. He has a .667 career OPS and has started 396 games to this point. Defensively, he won a Gold Glove as a rookie, but this year he has a minus-three outs above average, according to Baseball Savant. Despite his struggles, the team is deciding to stick with him.
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