The Yankees intend to get Ryan McMahon some work as a shortstop this spring, manager Aaron Boone tells Greg Joyce of The New York Post and other reporters. They’ll evaluate whether they feel comfortable using him as a potential backup option during the early part of the regular season. Anthony Volpe is beginning the season on the injured list after undergoing postseason labrum surgery. That draws utilityman José Caballero into the lineup at shortstop and leaves them without a clear backup at the position.
Amed Rosario has easily the most shortstop experience of any of their depth infielders. He was an everyday shortstop in Cleveland earlier in his career but struggled defensively and has mostly been pushed off the position. Rosario started 11 games there in 2024 and played all of two innings at the position last year. He’s more of a second/third baseman at this stage of his career, though his biggest appeal off the bench is his ability to hit left-handed pitching. Max Schuemann and Oswaldo Cabrera can cover shortstop but fit better at second or third base, while the out-of-options Jorbit Vivas has never started a professional game at short.
McMahon’s professional experience at shortstop consists of three innings for the 2020 Rockies. He didn’t play there at all in the minor leagues. Listed at 6’2″, 217 pounds and a below-average runner, he’s clearly better suited for third base work. McMahon is an excellent defender at the hot corner, ranking second at the position in Defensive Runs Saved (after Ke’Bryan Hayes) and third in Outs Above Average (behind Hayes and Maikel Garcia) over the last three seasons. His range would be stretched at shortstop, but he should have the hands and arm strength to make the routine plays.
That might be all the Yankees would need to consider him for a temporary backup role. He’d still see the vast majority of his time at third base. If they feel McMahon’s a better fill-in at shortstop than Rosario, they could lift Caballero for a pinch-hitter in key spots and would be better protected in the event of an injury.
That’d also help the roster flexibility. Cabrera and Schuemann still have options remaining. They have three bench jobs committed between Rosario, Paul Goldschmidt and a backup catcher (probably J.C. Escarra). Not needing to carry another shortstop would mean they could have Vivas break camp or consider keeping Jasson Domínguez up as a fourth outfielder. If they want a true shortstop off the bench, they’d probably need to select a non-roster invitee like Braden Shewmake, Zack Short or Paul DeJong onto the 40-man roster.
Ideally, that’ll all be a short-term arrangement. Volpe could return early in the season, pushing Caballero back to the super utility role for which he’s tailor-made. The 24-year-old discussed his rehab with Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, noting that he has begun a hitting progression but isn’t at a point where he can risk diving for ground-balls. Volpe indicated he’s not closing the door on making his season debut before April is out, though Hoch adds that GM Brian Cashman suggested a return in May is likelier.
Volpe has been a below-average hitter in each of his first three seasons in the big leagues. He has shown 20-20 potential but with a subpar batting average and on-base percentage. He was out to a better start last year before suffering the shoulder injury in early May. Even if the offensive regression may have been coming regardless, the injury seemed to take a toll on the other side of the ball. The 2023 Gold Glove winner had a surprisingly poor season defensively. Caballero was the better player down the stretch, but the Yankees are hoping Volpe will more forcefully reclaim the starting job once he’s healthy.

Not a bad exercise. Plenty of good defensive shortstops weren’t fast runners. Smart positioning, fast hands and transfer, and strong arms are also contributing factors to making really good ones.
@YankeesBleacherCreature
The “flick” is the one that separates the wheat and chaff for me. The ability to throw the ball using just the wrist and firearms. I’ve seen it (ya, a stats guy using his eyeballs. Go figure) consistently in 2 players, Tulo and Tony Fernandez.
As a Yankees fan, why do i always feel as if Crashman is just rearranging the deck chairs and ignoring the iceberg?
But the band played such wonderful music as the ship went down
@TheRaven
I really don’t get the disappointment. Jazz, McMahon and Volpe, when healthy, have all been great defensive players. Anyone who thinks Volpe’s bat is keeping them from winning a chip is an idiot.
DFA VolpE
“DFA Volpe”..That’ll never happen and they’d quickly regret it if it did. Not every young SS leaves AAA as a ready-made great.
Quit throwing Volpe under the bus(to the media) everytime he makes a mistake and unless you find someone better at SS, give the guy a little breathing room.
He was given the full time job 3 years ago and Caballero is the closest thing Volpe has had for competition for the SS position. How much breathing room should a team that claims it’s championship caliber give a below average starter?
@billy
Below average??? By fangraphs WAR accounting he was a top 15 SS in 2023/2024 with 5.5 WAR. 1.9 in 2023 with a 20/20 season and 3.5 in 2024. If he was really injured this year then there’s legit reason to think that effected his defense last year, resuscitation with his throwing. But defensively he been a top 6 SS his first 3 yards and he’s given them 20/20 production. I’m good with that Let’s see how his defense is when he comes back. I’ll take 2024 production all day.
Volpe very much reminds me of Dansby Swanson’s first few years in the Major Leagues. Swanson only had a 75 wRC+ through his age-24 season, and at one point had -4 DRS and -5 OAA at shortstop in 2017, his rookie year. He eventually settled in and became a strong defender who regularly hits for above-average power. Both were very hyped when they got to the Major Leagues. Swanson scuffeled through his first few seasons. So has Volpe. I think it’s a very similar case.
I can’t possibly see Vivas making this team. He doesn’t offer anything that the others don’t already give. I want to see Jasson stay up, and honestly would rather even have Paul DeJong make the club.
Rosario, Goldy and presumably Escarra are locks for the bench. So it’s down to the last spot for Jdom, Oswaldo, Schuemann, Vivas, or any of the NRI guys. I think it’ll be Oswaldo because of his versatility. He’s your 4th OF, pinch runner and backup to the backup INF to give you more PH opportunities
Why in the world would you put your gold glove 3rd baseman in McMahon and play him at SS. I don’t get it.
Anthony Volpe is trash. Can’t field, cant get on base, struggles to slug even in Yankee stadium. Just like Dominguez, another overrated Yankee prospect.
Cashman is 58 so I’m assuming he only went as far as Nintendo and Super Nintendo. He never got to the PlayStation and Xbox days when you would trade for David Ortiz and Vlad and make them your middle infield in franchise mode. I guess he’s just making up for lost time these last 5 or so years.