DRUM'S BANGING LOUDER TO SHIP VOLPE TO SCRANTON

At some point, someone in the Yankees' front office is going to have to step out of their analytics bunker, put the spreadsheets down, and face the music: Anthony Volpe just isn’t cutting it at the major league level. We’ve been floating this idea all season—maybe Volpe needs a wake-up call in Triple-A or maybe it’s time to dangle him in trade talks. Either way, the Yankees can’t keep pretending that this is fine. Because it’s not.

And now, it’s not just fans and bloggers saying it. Former MLB manager Joe Maddon—yes, that Joe Maddon, the guy who actually won a World Series and knows how to manage real talent—went on MLB Network’s “MLB Now” and said what Aaron Boone doesn’t have the guts to admit.

“I think there’s got to be some consideration, or thought, or talking about him possibly going back down,” Maddon said.

Translation: If Maddon were running the Yankees instead of Aaron “Everything is Fine!” Boone, Volpe would already be packing his bags for Scranton.

Maddon, a respected baseball lifer and one of the more thoughtful managers the game has seen in recent decades, even suggested the Yankees should grab a veteran shortstop at the deadline—someone who can actually field the position. Imagine that! A shortstop who… catches the baseball. What a concept.

Let’s not sugarcoat this: Anthony Volpe has become a liability. His 13 errors tie him for the most among shortstops in the league. He’s not hitting. He’s not leading. He’s not growing. He’s drowning. And Aaron Boone, in classic Boone fashion, keeps trying to sell us on the idea that “he’s coming around,” or “he’s just a kid.” Yeah—he is just a kid. That’s the problem. He looks like a high schooler playing dress-up in pinstripes. And it’s not adorable anymore. It’s damaging.

Fans aren’t rooting against him—we’re not villains. Nobody’s hoping this guy fails. But come on. How long are we supposed to wait? Every booted grounder is a gut punch. Every 0-for-4 is a grim reminder that this kid needed more seasoning in the minors, not a red carpet to the Bronx.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are sliding fast. Judge is out for at least another 10 days, and there’s a black hole at shortstop. This is the part where someone in the Yankees' front office is supposed to step in and steady the ship. Instead, it’s listing heavily—and Volpe’s play is one of the reasons why.

Wouldn’t it be nice—just once—to see a Yankee shortstop rise to the moment? Show some fire? Make a big play when it counts? Sure. But it won’t be Volpe. Not now. Not this year.

Joe Maddon is right. Get a veteran in here. Give the kid a bus ticket to Scranton and a chance to figure it out away from the big lights. The Yankees ruined this kid bringing him up way too fast. This isn’t about giving up on Anthony Volpe. It’s about saving the season.

And if the Yankees don’t act fast? We're not heading for the playoffs. We're heading straight for last place in the AL East—and maybe, just maybe, Boone can explain how that’s all part of the process too.