TAMPA, Fla. — Jose Caballero arrived at the Yankees spring training complex this week with a message that should make every New York fan pay attention. The 29-year-old super-utility man is not interested in being a fill-in. He wants an everyday job.
That may sound harmless on the surface. But for Anthony Volpe, still recovering from left labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder, those words carry weight. Volpe is not expected back until May at the earliest. That gives Caballero roughly six weeks of regular at-bats to make a case that could reshape the Yankees’ infield plans for the rest of the season.
Caballero makes his intentions clear in Tampa
Caballero is not shy about what he wants. Speaking to reporters this week, the Panama native made his goals plain.
“I’ll try to take advantage of the opportunity and show everyone that I can play every day,” Caballero said to NJ.com.
He is not framing this as a temporary assignment. He wants to prove something permanent. The right-handed hitter spent years bouncing between bench roles with Seattle and Tampa Bay. He believes consistent playing time is the missing ingredient.
“I’m not saying this is an excuse, but sometimes whenever you are on the bench for a few days, it’s not easy to get back in there and hit,” he said. “If you get seven at-bats in a week, it’s hard to hit. When you get regular at-bats it’s easier. I think everyone can say that.”
On stolen bases, Caballero set the bar high. He led all of Major League Baseball with 49 steals last season and topped the American League with 44 the year before. His target for 2026? Fifty. With an 81.2 percent success rate in 2025, the number feels reachable.
He also declared a batting average goal that raised eyebrows.
“Like a good player would say, I’m always going to shoot for .300,” Caballero said.
Why Caballero’s words put Volpe’s job at risk
Here is where it gets complicated for the Yankees. Caballero is not just talking. His production after the trade deadline last season backed up the confidence.
In 40 games wearing pinstripes, Caballero batted .266 with three homers and a .339 on-base percentage. Those numbers were a significant jump from the .226 average he posted in 86 games with Tampa Bay before the trade. He ranked in the 92nd percentile in baserunning run value and the 90th percentile in defensive range, according to Statcast. His six outs above average placed him among the best defensive infielders in the game.
Volpe, meanwhile, hit .212 with a .663 OPS across 153 games in 2025. He committed 19 errors, tied for the most among American League shortstops. His 83 OPS+ was below league average for the third straight season. General manager Brian Cashman admitted after Volpe’s October surgery that the labrum damage was more severe than initially believed.
“I personally think now, I’m certainly leaning more into that, yes, it was affecting him,” Cashman said. “He didn’t have the season that we expected, that he expected, that we believe he’s capable of.”
The Yankees still view Volpe as their long-term shortstop. Both Cashman and manager Aaron Boone said so after the surgery. But Boone also left a crack in the door.
“For him to become that front-line shortstop, that’s got to improve,” Boone said of Volpe’s hitting.
If Caballero seizes the shortstop role in April and hits the way he did after last summer’s trade, the Yankees will face a genuine dilemma when Volpe returns. You cannot bench a player who is performing and running wild on the bases just because the original starter is healthy.
Boone sees a gritty competitor with untapped upside
The Yankees manager had plenty of praise for what Caballero brings beyond the stat sheet.
“He’s just a real gritty gamer, a tough, competitive, scrappy out at the plate,” Boone said. “We like what he brings to the table. He does the short game well. He can hit behind a runner. He can bunt. He can bunt for a hit.”
Boone also pointed to something that matters in October.
“The thing that stands out about Jose is confidence. He just plays the game with a lot of confidence and loves the action, loves the competition, and that shows through with him. It seems like the bigger the at-bat, the tougher out he becomes.”
The numbers support that claim. Caballero hit .269 with runners in scoring position last season compared to .225 in other at-bats. He thrives when it matters.
“One thing about me, I feel like when I get at-bats that really matter in the game I focus a little bit more,” Caballero said. “Hitting in a big situation helps bring the best out of me.”
The Yankees face a good problem with no easy answer
Caballero insists he is not trying to take Volpe’s job permanently. He says he is happy to slide into a super-utility role once the 24-year-old returns. But actions speak louder than words, and a month of strong production could force the Yankees into a tough decision.
Volpe is projected to earn $3.9 million in arbitration this year and is under team control through 2028. The Yankees have invested heavily in his development since drafting him in the first round of 2019. Walking away from that is not something the front office takes lightly.
But Caballero’s speed, defense and clutch hitting offer something Volpe has not yet delivered consistently. The Yankees lost their Division Series to the Blue Jays last October. Volpe went 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts in that series. The memory lingers.
Caballero wrapped up his spring training comments with a line that sounded polite on the surface but carried unmistakable purpose.
“I just want to help the team. That’s the main thing. Help the team win some games. That and like I said, show the Yankees that I can play every day.”
For Volpe, the clock is ticking in more ways than one. He needs to heal. And when he does come back, he may find the shortstop job is no longer waiting for him.
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