NEW YORK — The Yankees quietly signed a familiar face to bolster their infield depth last week. It was not a blockbuster move. It was not even announced. But with Anthony Volpe recovering from shoulder surgery, every piece of insurance matters.
Zack Short, a 30-year-old journeyman infielder, agreed to a minor league contract with the Yankees on Dec. 12. The transaction appeared only on the Yankees’ official ledger. No press release. No fanfare. Just another depth signing in a busy offseason.
But Short’s story is more interesting than your typical minor league pickup. He has been designated for assignment five times in his career. He has played for five different organizations. And he grew up just 90 miles north of Yankee Stadium.
A Kingston kid comes home to the Bronx
Short grew up in Kingston, New York. He attended Kingston High School, where he co-captained the varsity baseball team to the 2012 New York State Class AA championship. It was the first state title in the school’s history.
He went undrafted out of high school and enrolled at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. The Chicago Cubs selected him in the 17th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He signed for $80,000 and began his professional journey.
Short grew up a Mets fan. He even attended a game during the 2000 World Series at Shea Stadium as a child. Now he will try to make the roster of the team that beat his beloved Mets in that Fall Classic.
Five teams in four years tells the story
Short made his MLB debut with the Detroit Tigers in April 2021. He has since worn the uniforms of the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and Houston Astros. The Yankees will be his sixth organization.
His 2024 season was a roller coaster. He started the year with the Mets but was designated for assignment in late April. The team sold his contract to the Red Sox for cash. Boston gave him just two games before designating him for assignment again. The Red Sox then traded him to Atlanta for cash on May 9.
The Braves used him in 30 games before designating him for assignment in late July. He cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett. He elected free agency after that season.
In January 2025, Short signed with the Astros on a minor league deal. He spent most of the year at Triple-A Sugar Land but got called up when Jeremy Pena went down with a fractured rib. Short played 22 games for Houston, hitting .220 with two home runs and seven RBIs. He delivered a walk-off single against the Texas Rangers on July 12 to snap a four-game losing streak.
When Pena returned on July 31, Short was designated for assignment once again. He cleared waivers and finished the year at Sugar Land.
Numbers paint a modest picture for Yankees
The newest Yankees owns a .172 career batting average in 248 MLB games. His career OPS sits at .567. He has never posted an OPS above .671 in any season at the big league level. Those are not numbers that inspire confidence at the plate.
Short’s 2023 season with Detroit was his most extensive MLB action. He played 112 games and hit .204 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs. His 2025 stint with Houston produced a .671 OPS in limited duty.
But defense is where the newe Yankees player earns his paychecks. He has made just 20 errors in 248 career MLB games. Short has logged 122 appearances at shortstop, 61 at second base, and 55 at third base. That versatility could prove valuable.
Volpe’s injury creates opportunity
The Yankees need infield depth because Volpe is recovering from surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Volpe will not swing a bat for at least four months. General manager Brian Cashman expects him back sometime in April or May at the latest.
Jose Caballero is expected to handle most of the Yankees’ shortstop duties while Volpe is out. But Short provides another option off the bench if he can make the roster out of spring training.
Cashman spoke about the Yankees’ shortstop situation at the Winter Meetings earlier this month. His comments left fans scratching their heads.
“I have no idea where things can go,” Cashman said. “The game separates it all, the men from the boys, (and) dictates who should and who shouldn’t be playing over the course of time from the roster that the manager has.”
He added: “People continue to earn their playing time or they don’t. In some cases, if you don’t have alternatives, somebody stays in that lane continuing to play unless you import something else. But if it’s competition off the guys on the club, may the best man win and keep it.”
Volpe’s struggles remain a talking point
The 24-year-old Volpe tied for the American League lead among shortstops with 19 errors in 2025. He hit just .212 with a .663 OPS. His bWAR of 1.6 was a far cry from the elite production the organization expected when they drafted him 30th overall in 2019.
Volpe played through the shoulder injury for most of the season. The torn labrum occurred in early May when the Yankees star felt a pop after diving for a grounder. He received two cortisone shots but never went on the injured list.
The postseason was brutal. Volpe went 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts in the American League Division Series loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Fans at Yankee Stadium booed him during that series.
Cashman has maintained the Yankees’ support for Volpe despite the struggles.
“I believe in the player still. I think we believe in the player,” Cashman said in October. “He’s 24 years old. I don’t think the New York stage is too big for him. It’s just still finding his way.”
Short faces long odds but has nothing to lose
Short will report to spring training with the Yankees in February. He will compete for a spot on the 26-man roster. The odds are against him. They have been his entire career.
If he does not make the team, he will likely start the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. That would put him just a phone call away from Yankee Stadium.
For a kid who grew up 90 miles north of the Bronx, even that would be something special. The Yankees have won 27 World Series titles. Short has been waived five times. But in baseball, stranger things have happened.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
