August 1st, 2025: Volpe, Rays Series, De Los Santos, Mailbag

UPDATE: Forget about Cam Schlittler being sent down for Luis Gil on Sunday. The Yankees released Marcus Stroman today. I didn't expect that given the precarious state of the rotation (and no starter trade Thursday), but you can't say it's undeserved. Stroman has a 6.23 ERA (5.15 FIP) in nine starts and 39 innings around his knee injury. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $18M salary. The $18M vesting option for next year was a non-issue anyway because he wasn't getting to 140 innings after the injury.

ORIGINAL POST: The chaos of July is over. The draft, All-Star Game, trade deadline, all that is in the rear-view mirror. The dog days of summer are officially here and the Yankees, despite their best efforts the last few weeks, remain in the AL East race and in the top Wild Card spot. They have 53 games remaining. Here is my trade deadline recap and here is Friday’s post. The Thursday trade deadline/Friday post combo is a nightmare in terms of my workload, so this post is shorter than usual. Things will be back to normal next week.

1. Weekday thoughts. Six trades and a win make for a nice little Thursday. The Yankees took care of business and beat the Rays three times in four games this week, and even though it doesn’t feel like it, they’re 12-8 in their last 20 games. Considering they had 12 wins in their previous 31 games, I’ll take it. Here are a few thoughts on the last few games.

Volpe’s yips

Anthony Volpe is making a run at 30/30 this year: 30 homers and 30 errors. That 442-foot homer (video) he hit Tuesday was the longest of his career by 21 feet, then he blasted the game-tying homer in the ninth inning Wednesday (video). Volpe has six homers in 13 games since the break. He also has five errors in those 13 games, including whatever the hell this was on the would-be 27th out Tuesday:

Volpe is up to 16 errors on the season, the most in baseball, plus there have been several other plays that weren’t scored errors but could have. There have been SO MANY short-hopped throws recently. Volpe seems timid in the field and his confidence is gone. I’m not speculating. He admitted it. “I’ve never really experienced something like this,” Volpe told Bryan Hoch after Tuesday’s two-error game.

Aaron Boone is forever protective of Volpe (and all his players, really), but he was very pointed after Tuesday’s game. He was as irritated as I’ve ever seen him after a win and it appeared to be about Volpe’s play, not about being questioned about his defense again. Call me crazy, but Boone’s comments had an undertone of “I’ve been defending you for 2.5 years, it’s time for you to live up to your end.”

“We’ve got to get over it. We’ve got to get through it,” Boone told Hoch. “One thing is for certain, he’s really good out there. He’s clearly had some struggles and was a little indecisive with that last throw. We can’t be indecisive there. He’ll get through it, but obviously there’s been some tough moments here.”

Volpe does not have the full blown Rick Ankiel/Chuck Knoblauch yips but there is a lack of confidence, and the defensive mistakes are piling up. Is he hurt? Volpe has been icing his left shoulder after games since that “pop” in May, and I suppose discomfort in the left shoulder could lead to poor throwing mechanics. Then again, if his front/power shoulder when hitting is achy, would he be able to hit a ball 442 feet?

So what can the Yankees do here? Sending Volpe to Triple-A is a non-starter for them, it seems. The next best thing is (gasp) giving him some days off. The Yankees have adhered to what is at times a very strict load management plan the last few years and yet Volpe is in there, day after day. He’s started each of the last 32 games and 106 of 109 games this year, and 264 of 271 games the last two years.

Trade deadline pickup José Caballero is a legit shortstop. The Yankees don’t have to fake it at short with Amed Rosario. Use Caballero to give Volpe a day or two to clear his head in the short-term, and also give him a game off every, I dunno, 2-3 series moving forward? Volpe is not a big guy. Forget the mental stuff. His body might just need more time off than it gets.

"I have not wanted to do that,” Boone told Gary Phillips about sitting Volpe for a mental reset. "My message to him is, 'You're really good at this,' and that's reality. Like he's a Gold Glove player. He makes plays that people can't make. He's a playmaker out there. He's made some mistakes on some balls that he needs to nail down, but it happens to guys at different points in their career.”

Volpe’s bat has come alive since the All-Star break. Six homers in 13 second half games after six homers in his final 90 first half games. He’s producing at the plate while also playing the worst defense of his career. Volpe’s glove has been down all year, but it has been especially bad lately. The short-hopped throws have hurt the Yankees more than a few times lately. I don’t know if more rest is the solution. I just know Volpe has to correct this.

Wednesday’s chaos game

I wouldn’t call Wednesday’s win the best win of the season, but it was certainly the most chaotic. Plenty of good, plenty of bad, and a dash of stupidity for good measure. Will Warren pitched very well and the offense mustered nothing against Zack Littell, who the Rays traded to the Reds immediately after the game. To recap the zaniness:

• 8th inning: Trent Grisham hit a game-tying homer and Giancarlo Stanton gave the Yankees the lead with a two-strike single to center.

• 9th inning: Devin Williams gave up a two-run homer to Josh Lowe to blow the save, then Volpe tied it with a homer off Pete Fairbanks. Also, Austin Wells forgot how many outs there were and was tagged out jogging off the field to end the inning.

• 10th inning: Jasson Domínguez made arguably the best and certainly the most clutch catch of his career, turning Jonathan Aranda’s fly ball into a one-run sac fly rather than extra bases. Cody Bellinger then tied the game with a triple.

• 11th inning: Tim Hill, on what was supposed to be a “down” day for him, stranded the automatic runner. Jazz Chisholm Jr. then goaded Kevin Kelly into a balk and scored on Ryan McMahon’s walk-off single.

I put all the action in one video. The Yankees became the first team in the Modern Era (since 1901) to tie a game in the 8th, tie it in the 9th, tie it in the 10th, and win it in the 11th. That’s one of those stats that makes me say “really, that never happened?” I would have guessed that happens every few years. But nope, never before. Not until the Yankees on Wednesday.

I will be a Williams apologist. He threw 25 stressful pitches Tuesday and was pitching for the third time in four days Wednesday, so it's no surprise he wasn’t sharp. Still, you want your closer to close out that game. Good thing the rest of the team picked him up. Wells, that’s just sheer stupidity. That was the nightly fuck up that has been a constant in the Boone era, and it was one of the most egregious we’ll see.

"I just thought there were three outs," Wells told Hoch. "Very embarrassed and disappointed, for sure. You let the guys down when you do that, you give away an out like that in a big spot. I think I was just being an idiot."

Yes, Austin, you were being an idiot. Boone said “that can’t happen” after the game, and a) he’s right, that can’t happen, and b) I feel like Boone says “that can’t happen” after every single game. Something that can’t happen always happens with this team. Well, anyway, good win Wednesday was. Thursday too. Good series win against a Wild Card competitor.

Miscellany

What a performance by Yerry De Los Santos on Thursday. Nine up, nine down, five strikeouts (video) on a day the bullpen was very short. He was electric. De Los Santos was sent down after the game for a fresh arm, but he didn’t deserve to be. That was the best performance by a Yankees’ reliever in some time … Stupid thing I noticed: The Yankees had drawn five walks only twice in 16 games from July 4-25, and had 6.4 BB% in those 16 games. They had 5+ walks in three straight games and seven times in eight games prior to that. Thankfully, the walks are back. At least five in three of the last six games, including Tuesday and Wednesday night. Walks aren’t the most exciting thing in the world, but they help generate offense, and the Yankees weren’t taking their walks for much of July. Now they’re doing it again … It’s only 123 plate appearances, but I did not expect a .270/.341/.514 (126 wRC+) line from Giancarlo Stanton given his age and the dual tennis elbows thing. Stanton has been tremendous. I hope it lasts into November … And finally, here are the number of times the various Yankees’ third basemen reached base in July:

1. Ryan McMahon: 13 in 24 PA
2. Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 9 in 23 PA
3. Oswald Peraza: 4 in 32 PA
4. Jorbit Vivas: 4 in 12 PA

McMahon’s been so good in his first week as a Yankee. It wasn’t going to take much to be an upgrade over the non-Jazz third basemen and McMahon has cleared that bar with plenty of room to spare.

Injury updates

Aaron Judge (elbow) started hitting off a tee Tuesday, so he took three days off from hitting. He could face the high velocity machine this weekend. Judge is taking fly balls too, but he’s not throwing. That won’t happen another week or so. Throwing is the bigger concern given the nature of his injury. I can’t lie, I’m a tad worried this is a “the true extent of the injury will be revealed after the deadline” situation … Luis Gil (lat) made his fourth and final rehab start with Scranton on Tuesday: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR (video) on 75 pitches. His fastball sat 96.0 mph and topped out at 98.6 mph, up two full ticks from his previous rehab start. That’s a good sign … Mark Leiter Jr. (knee) threw live BP Thursday (Judge stood in to track pitches but didn’t swing) and will make a rehab appearance this weekend. If that goes well, he’ll be activated early next week … Ryan Yarbrough (oblique) threw his first full bullpen Thursday … And finally, Spencer Jones returned to Scranton’s lineup Tuesday. He missed the last three games last week with back spasms, but all is well.

Up next

A six-game road trip to Miami and Texas. Two teams playing very good baseball. The Marlins are 27-14 in their last 41 games (yes, really) and the Rangers were 28-17 in their last 45 games going into Thursday’s West Coast night game. That Texas series is especially important given the Wild Card standings. Here’s the weekend ahead:

• Friday at Marlins: LHP Carlos Rodón vs. RHP Janson Junk (7pm ET on YES)

• Saturday at Marlins: RHP Cam Schlittler vs. RHP Eury Pérez (4pm ET on YES)

• Sunday at Marlins: TBA vs. RHP Edward Cabrera (1:40pm ET on YES)

• Monday at Rangers: TBA vs. TBA (8pm ET on YES)

Sunday will be Gil. Sure seems like things are set up for Schlittler to get sent down following Saturday’s start (where he will transition to the bullpen maybe?), and Gil to step into his roster/rotation spot. That would give the other starters an extra day of rest in the middle of his 13 games in 13 days stretch.

Cabrera was not traded before the deadline (neither was Sandy Alcantara), so the Yankees will see him Sunday. Also, Junk is a former Yankees’ prospect. The 2017 22nd round pick was sent away in the Andrew Heaney trade a few years ago. Monday’s TBAs lineup to be Max Fried and Nate Eovaldi. Fun!

Mailbag Questions of the Week

Anonymous asks: Jones is often referred to as the left handed Judge. How do the two compare at this point in their careers?

In terms of time spent at each level, Aaron Judge was ahead of where Spencer Jones is now. Judge split his age 23 season evenly between Double-A and Triple-A, and spent his age 24 season in Triple-A before his August call up. Jones spent his entire age 23 season in Double-A and has split his age 24 season between Double-A and Triple-A. We’ll see when his first MLB call up happens.

Statistically, Jones is blowing Judge away at age 24. Judge was really good in the minors, don’t get me wrong, but he never dominated a level the way Jones has the last two months or so. Here are the surface stats during their age 24 seasons (2025 for Jones and 2016 for Judge):

There was no Triple-A Statcast when Judge was in Triple-A. We don’t know what his Triple-A contact rates and exit velocity and all that were (reportedly his exit velos were bonkers at the time, which I think we can all buy). What we do know is the Triple-A strikeout rate was 20.0% in 2016. This year it’s 23.1%. Judge struck out less relative to the league average than Jones is now.

Two things to keep in mind. One, the minors are much different now. MLB’s contraction plan changed everything, plus teams use Triple-A as a taxi squad more than a developmental level more than ever. That includes the Yankees. Jasson Domínguez, Anthony Volpe, and Austin Wells have played fewer Triple-A games combined than Judge (159 vs. 108). The Jones vs. Judge performance context is way different.

And two, we have to let Spencer Jones be Spencer Jones. The Judge comps are inevitable given his size and skill set and organization, I get it, but Judge is Judge because of the physical gifts and also because his ability to make adjustments is special. Getting better with age is not a fluke. Judge is smart and knows how to take information, process it, and use it to make himself better.

We don’t know a whole lot about Jones’ ability to make adjustments yet (the early signs are promising), but chances are it isn’t Judge level because very few are at Judge level. That really is the separator for Judge. He’s big and strong and athletic, and also smart. If he were a normal-sized dude instead of built like a Greek god, he’d still be an amazing hitter. Jones becoming even 70% of Judge would be an incredible outcome.

Roger asks: Carlos Lagrange. Can he contribute at the MLB level as a one or two inning guy this season?

Maybe? Anytime a guy has an arm like that, there’s a chance he could come up and help by out-stuffing hitters. Example: Luis Gil. He had just gotten to Triple-A and wasn’t pitching especially well at that level when the Yankees called him up as a COVID replacement in 2021, and he was still able to give the Yankees some good starts because his stuff was so electric. Maybe Lagrange can do the same?

Counting on that is dicey though. Lagrange’s control issues have resurfaced in Double-A (15.3 BB%) and he’s already thrown more innings this year (82.1) than he did from 2022-24 combined (71.1). There are 40-man roster considerations too. Lagrange doesn’t have to go on the 40-man until after 2026, so you’re tying up a spot early (once he goes on the 40-man, he won’t come off) and you’re burning options on a player who might need extended time in the minors to iron out his strike-throwing.

The big league team is the priority and if the Yankees determine Lagrange is one of their 13 best pitchers and can help them get to the postseason, then do it. He can throw fastballs by hitters and it might just work because he can do that. I do think turning to Lagrange at this point in his career would be a very desperate move though, and more likely go poorly than work out. Hopefully the trade deadline means they can avoid it.

Sandeep asks: With the flexor strain (as well as the toe that he’s said will be a consistent problem), the Yankees continued inability to find a 1B on the right side of the aging curve and Judge turning 34 next year, is the coming offseason the time to get him working on the move to 1B?   

Yes, I think so. The move to first base doesn’t have to happen next year, Aaron Judge is still capable in the outfield, but the move is likely going to happen at some point. Giving him a nice long runway to work on it and get familiar with the position seems wise. Not every position change has to be rushed and made in Spring Training or in-season. We know Judge isn’t going anywhere and is getting into his mid-30s. Let him take his time and prepare for the transition over the long haul.

Mark asks: Rice had two long at bats Wednesday that ended in walks. The first one was with two runners on base. It's always called a great at bat when a batter fouls a bunch of pitches off. I'm not sure I agree. Rice had several pitches that were mistakes by Littell that he should have hit hard, not fouled off. Is it really a great at bat when there are pitches that should be crushed and are just fouled off?

Mark, thank you. This is a pet peeve of mine. Making an out is bad no matter what. Seeing a lot of pitches before making an out makes it less bad, not “good,” especially when you had a chance to do damage but missed those pitches. Is a first pitch single a good at-bat? Yes, of course, though you never hear it described that way. This is similar to the way “nice piece of hitting” is never used to describe a 450-foot homer. It is only applied to opposite field singles. In baseball vernacular, seeing a lot of pitches = “good at-bat” regardless of outcome. I’m not a fan of the term, or at least the way it’s applied.

(Send your requests for Friday's mailbag to RABmailbag at gmail dot com. The random Yankee series is on hiatus, but feel free to send in requests for when it returns.)