TAMPA – Sunday wasn’t the first time José Caballero was asked to address the elephant in the room, and it won’t be the last.
The elephant, of course, is Anthony Volpe, who underwent shoulder surgery in October. The 24-year-old has had a near-chokehold on the Yankees’ shortstop gig despite three years of disappointing offense and drastic defensive regression last season — Volpe played with a torn labrum for months — but will start 2026 on the injured list as a result of his procedure.
Caballero, primarily used as a pesky, speedy utilityman throughout his first three seasons with the Mariners, Rays and Yankees, is expected to fill in at short before Volpe returns, possibly sometime in April. The question is whether last season’s stolen base leader can do enough in that time to prevent Volpe from reclaiming the job.
“That’s out of my control,” Caballero said Sunday after hitting a solo homer in the Yankees’ spring training loss to the Mets. “I control what I can control. I’m gonna go out there and do my best every day, and they make the decisions.”
He added, “I got nothing else to say about that.”
A solo shot for José Caballero! 💪 pic.twitter.com/WpVFa6mwC3
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 22, 2026
Caballero, who wouldn’t hurt his case with some more pop, hopes to let his play do the talking instead.
That strategy worked out well last season after the Yankees acquired the 29-year-old from Tampa Bay, as Caballero posted a 134 wRC+ and an .828 OPS to go along with three homers and 15 stolen bases over 40 games for the Bombers. That limited sample size saw him earn more starts at shortstop in September as Volpe struggled and recovered from a cortisone shot.
But the Yankees handed the position back to Volpe by season’s end, and the former first-round pick started each of their postseason games. Even though Caballero, a well-graded defender at short, outperformed Volpe, it wasn’t all that surprising given the way the Yankees have talked about the two players.
Volpe, for one, has been staunchly supported by Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman throughout his struggles. The Yankees have been consistent in saying that, in Cashman’s words, he will be “part of the solution.”
And while Boone and Cashman did ever-so-slightly soften their commitment to Volpe being locked in at shortstop following his surgery, the manager has also repeatedly said that Caballero offers unique value in a reserve role.
Boone did so again Sunday, noting that Caballero “brings a lot of things to the table” that the Yankees “want to have in a bench player late in the game.”
“He’s just so good at so many different positions. There’s some fast-twitch in there,” Boone added when asked what Caballero brought to the team last year. “He’s so dynamic on the basepaths. He plays the game with a ton of confidence. Sometimes I gotta try and rein his confidence in a little bit, but it’s a gift that he’s got. Like when he’s out there, he thinks he’s the best player on the field. You need to have that to be a good big league player.”
Based on past comments, it’s entirely possible that Caballero remains an understudy to Volpe, who has been fielding and recently began his hitting program, even if the former plays well during the latter’s absence. But as Caballero said, that’s not something he’s going to worry about right now.
“I’m just trying to be out there, trying to help the team and trying to do my best every day,” he said.
That effort includes getting reacquainted with his double-play partner, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The two reunited on the Yankees last summer after first getting to know each other in the Diamondbacks’ farm system. While Boone didn’t want to overstate the impact that that familiarity could have on the infielders, Caballero and Chisholm believe it helps, especially since they’re both leaving camp soon to play for Panama and Great Britain, respectively, in the World Baseball Classic.
“We’re kind of used to each other from our Arizona days when we used to practice with each other. So it was easier to get into feeling that comfort and that rhythm of playing together again,” Chisholm said Sunday. “We’re just having fun and enjoying every second of it.”
Added Caballero: “It’s a really good combination. Power, speed and dynamic in the middle. I think it’s a great fit for the team.”
Caballero went on to say that his and Chisholm’s understanding of each other makes it easier to communicate. The two did so on Saturday, as the self-assured Chisholm — preparing for a pivotal season of his own ahead of free agency — said that he and Caballero had a “brother to brother talk” about playing on New York’s big stage.
The key takeaway: both feel ready for the challenges in front of them.
“A lot of guys get to the big leagues or get to New York,” Chisholm said, “and try to play a different game and not be themselves. And that’s the best thing about him: He comes out there and he is himself. He’s not afraid to be himself, and that’s what I feel like helps him with his overall game.”
