Alexander Wilson
The New York Yankees dropped the series finale to Miami on Sunday, falling behind when Jake Bird allowed three earned runs without recording a single out in the eighth inning. Max Fried was not sharp and gave up three runs over 6.2 innings, not his best start by any measure. But the thing that is going to linger from this series is not Bird or Fried. It is the shortstop situation, which has quietly become one of the more pressing problems on a 7-2 team.
Jose Caballero is hitting .129/.206/.129. There is no way to dress that up or contextualize it into something encouraging. Nine games into the season, he has not provided the offensive floor a starting shortstop needs to justify the position, and the defense that was supposed to be his calling card has sprung a leak too. He committed an error Sunday that led directly to an unearned run, which is the kind of play that accelerates whatever conversation was already building around his role.
What Was Supposed to Work
Caballero came to the Yankees at last year’s trade deadline from Tampa Bay and the early returns were promising. His speed was genuine, his baserunning was a real asset, and the glove looked reliable in the small sample after the acquisition. Aaron Boone spoke confidently about him holding down the position while Anthony Volpe rehabilitates his surgically repaired left shoulder labrum. That confidence was not misplaced at the time. Caballero had finished 2025 with 49 stolen bases and a 97 wRC+ across a full season, and his career splits show a player capable of at least average offensive production when he is locked in.
The problem is that nothing about 2026 has looked like a player who is locked in. His strikeout rate is elevated, his contact quality has been poor, and the confidence at the plate that made him look like a viable everyday option has been absent through nine games. Some of that is sample size. Some of it might be the pressure of stepping into a role he has not held for an extended stretch at the major league level, starting at shortstop every day for a team with World Series expectations. That is a different kind of responsibility than being the trade deadline acquisition who sparks a lineup for two months.
The defensive error Sunday compounded the concern. Caballero’s value is built almost entirely on his glove and his legs. When the glove produces errors in crucial moments, the offensive struggles carry significantly more weight.
What Comes Next
Volpe is targeting a return around May 1 after a rehab assignment that should begin sometime in mid-April. That timeline has not changed, and barring a setback, the Yankees will have their starting shortstop back within the next few weeks. When he returns, Caballero goes back to a utility role, which is genuinely where his skill set fits best. He is a terrific baseball player in the right context. Starting every day at shortstop for a contender, with the bat going cold and the glove making mistakes, is not that context.
The Yankees gave him the opportunity because it was the right thing to do. He has not taken advantage of it, and the team is fortunate enough that the situation has a defined end date. Volpe is coming back. The question now is simply whether Caballero can stabilize the position enough in the meantime that the damage stays manageable.
Through nine games, the answer is not particularly encouraging.
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