THE YANKEES LET IT FLY

The Yankees needed a response after Tampa Bay celebrated clinching the division Tuesday night.

They got one.

The Yankees blasted the Rays 9-2 on Wednesday, launching four home runs and making sure this one was never really in doubt.

And Ben Rice was the star of the show.

Rice launched his 40th home run on the first pitch of the game and then did it again later, finishing 3-for-4 with two bombs. He now has 41 home runs on the season.

That's HUGE.

Rice has become one of the most dangerous power bats on this team, and the timing couldn't be better. If he's getting hot heading into October, the Yankees could have a very interesting weapon in their lineup.

Ryan McMahon added five RBIs, including a grand slam, while George Lombard Jr. also went deep.

Gerrit Cole did his part, striking out eight over 5⅔ innings.

But let's be honest—this was the Ben Rice show.

And the Yankees certainly won't complain if he keeps swinging like this.

WHY IS BOONE NOW FORCING VOLPE AT THIRD BASE?

I'm done.

At some point, the Yankees have to stop pretending Anthony Volpe is something he hasn't been. And apparently, that point still hasn't arrived. And now Aaron Boone is telling us Anthony Volpe will likely move to third base while George Lombard Jr. stays at shortstop — because apparently the Yankees still haven't run out of ways to keep Volpe in the lineup.

Third base? Seriously? After everything we've watched from Volpe over the last three years, the Yankees' answer is to move him around the infield and keep finding ways to get him into the lineup?

This is getting ridiculous. WE ALL SAW WHAT VOLPE WAS, Let's not rewrite history now. When Anthony Volpe was at his lowest point, Yankees fans absolutely hammered him.

And why wouldn't we? The guy couldn't hit consistently. He made far too many errors. He looked completely overmatched at times. And three years into his major-league career, we were still talking about the same problems that were supposed to be fixed by then.

And one of the biggest problem has always been the arm. Volpe has legitimate throwing limitations, and his Statcast arm-strength numbers have ranked near the bottom of the league. His 2025 arm-strength percentile was just 8th percentile, with his 2026 mark listed at 13th percentile.

Then came the shoulder problem. Volpe dealt with a torn labrum and underwent surgery. So explain this to me why are you taking a guy with a questionable throwing arm and moving him to third base?

That's where this entire thing falls apart. Every time Volpe struggles, the Yankees seem to find another explanation. Maybe he's young. Maybe he needs more time. Maybe the pressure of New York is getting to him. Maybe he's injured. Maybe he'll figure it out. Maybe he'll become the player everyone thought he would be.

Enough.

At some point, potential stops being an excuse. Volpe isn't a rookie anymore. This isn't spring training. This isn't some 20-year-old prospect getting his first taste of the majors. We've seen him. We've seen the bat. We've seen the errors. We've seen the throwing issues. We've seen the inconsistency.

And we've seen enough baseball to know that sometimes a player simply doesn't become what everyone hoped he would become.

That's not personal. That's baseball.

The Yankees apparently believe George Lombard Jr. is good enough to take over shortstop. I'm thrilled. But why does that automatically mean Anthony Volpe needs to play third?

Ryan McMahon is right there. Is McMahon perfect?

No. Is he my favorite third baseman in baseball? Obviously not. But he's a veteran major-league third baseman who has spent his career playing the position. He's experienced. So why are the Yankees trying to turn Volpe into something else?

Why are we once again watching the organization bend the roster around Anthony Volpe instead of simply asking the most basic question: Who gives us the best chance to win right now?

That's supposed to be the job. Not protecting a former top prospect.

This is where I put the blame on Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone. Because this isn't just a Volpe problem anymore. It's an organizational problem.  The Yankees seem determined to find a position for this guy rather than simply determining whether he deserves one. STOP CONFUSING DRAFT STATUS WITH PRODUCTION... that is backwards.

Look, I get it, Volpe was a highly touted prospect according to our scouts, who, after our investigation, concluded it was all favoritism... according to our findings HERE.

But ok, he was supposed to be the future. But the hype of Volpe doesn't win baseball games. Production does. That's what matters. And Volpe has had plenty of opportunities to provide it.

Instead, we've spent three years having the same conversations over and over again. I'm tired.

The Yankees are trying to keep Volpe in the lineup because they're afraid to admit that maybe the experiment hasn't worked. My opinion of course. I'm sorry, but that's not my problem as a fan.  Do the Yankees gauge their audience? About 70% of the fans don't even want Volpe.

I don't care where Anthony Volpe was drafted. I don't care how highly he was once ranked. I don't care what the Yankees thought he was going to become. I care about what he gives this team right now. And that's the standard Cashman and Boone should be using too.

 I was patient with Volpe. But eventually, you run out of excuses. Volpe has had three years to establish himself as the Yankees' shortstop, and now the idea of him at third base with a weak arm doesn't even make sense. Not to me, not to anyone with a brain in their head and the eye test on lock.

The bottom line is discussing whether he should move to third base tells you everything you need to know.

If McMahon is available, play McMahon. If not, use the more athletic utility man, Jose Caballero. And if Volpe has a role on this team, then make it a role that actually makes sense... the bench.

The Yankees don't owe Anthony Volpe a starting job. They owe Yankees fans a team built to win.

And if Cashman and Boone can't separate what they wanted Anthony Volpe to become from what he has actually been, then maybe the biggest problem isn't Anthony Volpe anymore.

Maybe it's the people who refuse to move on from him. 

SHOWALTER KNOWS BASEBALL. MAYBE THE YANKEES SHOULD LISTEN.

Buck Showalter believes the Yankees made a mistake bringing Aaron Judge back without a minor league rehab assignment. After months away with a rib injury, Judge returned to the lineup, played seven games and landed back on the injured list with a calf strain.

“When you start talking about the calf, that’s a different animal,” Showalter said on Foul Territory.

Buck’s point is that Judge’s new injury brings a different problem. The rib injury kept him out for months; the calf now affects the running and movement required to play. Showalter believes a rehab assignment would have let Judge build back up in games before taking on a major league workload. He isn’t claiming that the calf strain proves the Yankees caused it. He’s questioning how they handled the return.

And Buck has earned the right to ask. He spent 22 seasons managing in the majors, including four with the Yankees. He won Manager of the Year four times with four different clubs: the Yankees, Rangers, Orioles and Mets. In 2022, he guided the Mets to 101 wins. That’s a real manager and a real baseball mind speaking from decades in the dugout.

Judge wanted to play. Every Yankees fan wanted him back. But wanting your captain in the lineup and preparing him for the demands of playing every day are two different things.

Would a rehab assignment have prevented the calf strain? Nobody knows. Judge is hurt again, October is almost here, and Showalter’s question deserves an answer.

The bad decision making from this front office is never more evident than the last few years. No one is paying attention, and it's getting worse. 

We. Need. Change.

RODÓN STOPPED THE RAYS. BOONE COULDN’T STOP THE CELEBRATION

For one game today the Yankees looked ready to make Tampa Bay wait.

Carlos Rodón was terrific in the doubleheader opener. He gave the Yankees eight scoreless innings, allowed just three hits and didn’t walk a batter. Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer, David Bednar finished the shutout, and the Yankees won 2-0. It was crisp, decisive baseball. It also required Rodón to be nearly perfect because the lineup managed only five hits.

And Anthony Volpe? 0-for-3. Another empty line on a day when every run mattered. I’m tired of being told to see the player the Yankees hope he’ll become while watching the player standing in the batter’s box. Dude’s not good period. If Boone is making October decisions based on faith in Volpe instead of what he’s producing, fans have every reason to worry.

The nightcap gave those fans plenty more to worry about. Drew Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the seventh and struck out 11. Heliot Ramos finally broke it up with a double, and George Lombard Jr. drove in the Yankees’ lone run. Meanwhile, Taylor Walls helped Tampa Bay build its lead, and Yandy Díaz drove in four. The Rays won 6-1, clinched the AL East, and celebrated at Yankee Stadium. That’s the image fans are left with after a split that briefly felt promising.

Now comes the familiar request to stay calm because the Yankees made the playoffs. Fine. They made it. But October doesn’t hand out runs for regular-season wins, and it doesn’t give a manager extra time to figure things out. Aaron Judge is expected to miss the Wild Card series. The lineup just produced one run and three hits in the game that decided the division. A fan looking at that and feeling uneasy is paying attention.

And that brings me to Aaron Boone. His teams win plenty of games over a long season. I know the number. What I want to know is why, when the pressure rises, I’m supposed to trust him to get the crucial decisions right. A manager is judged by what happens when there’s no comfortable margin left, and Boone has done little to earn that trust from me. Why does Hal Steinbrenner continue to allow Boone to manage this team? How many anxious Octobers does he need to see before he asks whether regular-season success is enough?

Rodón showed what the Yankees can look like at their best. A few hours later, the Rays showed them what it looks like to finish the job. The Yankees still have a postseason ahead of them, but this is a rocky road to get there. Right now, being a Yankees fan feels less like anticipation and more like bracing for the next bump.

SHOULD YANKEE FANS PANIC YET?

The Yankees had this game. Then, almost on cue, they gave it away.

New York jumped out to a 4-1 lead after Heliot Ramos, George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones all homered in the third inning. The kids supplied the power, the Yankees grabbed control—and then everything collapsed.

Arizona scored seven unanswered runs, with Nolan Arenado delivering the crushing blow: a fifth-inning grand slam off Brent Headrick that turned a three-run Yankees lead into another ugly loss. The Diamondbacks won 8-4 and took the series. Once Arenado’s ball landed in the seats, the Yankees never answered. Five Arizona relievers shut them out over the final 6 1/3 innings. 

So, do we panic yet?

Maybe “panic” is too dramatic, but concern is absolutely justified. This is no longer about one bad inning in Arizona. The Yankees are now six games behind Tampa Bay with only seven remaining, and their shot at the American League East is barely breathing. They will almost certainly enter October through the Wild Card door—assuming they don’t stumble even further.

And that brings us back to Aaron Boone.

Boone has won plenty of regular-season games. His defenders will always point to the record, the playoff appearances and the consistency. But managing the Yankees isn’t about piling up victories from April through August. It’s about executing when the pressure arrives.

Boone has repeatedly shown that when a game tightens, his decision-making does too. Sunday was another example. The Yankees had a lead, the inning was slipping away, and Boone entrusted the game to an overworked Headrick, making his 79th appearance. By the time Boone reacted, Arenado had already put Arizona ahead for good.

That is Boone’s greatest weakness, and it will always make him a poor manager in my eyes—regardless of how many regular-season wins appear next to his name. The postseason exposes hesitation, questionable bullpen choices and managers who fail to feel the moment. We have watched that movie before.

The Yankees now head into a four-game series against Tampa Bay. Boone says they need to “kick their butt.” That sounds wonderful. But this team doesn’t need another Boone slogan. It needs urgency, clean execution and a manager capable of staying ahead of the game instead of reacting after it has already been lost.

Should Yankee fans panic?

Not yet. But if this is how Boone and the Yankees plan to handle October pressure, we already know how the story ends.

The dude can't close. Yes, we clinched a playoff spot, but that means nothing if we can't win it all.  The dude's not George Patton... he not even close.

IS PLAYOFF BASEBALL A POSSIBILITY WITHOUT JUDGE?

Nothing hurts more than being kicked when you are down. That's how I feel right now. The Yankees are down, and begging for a postseason miracle as the bad luck just keeps on coming. It's a consistent kick to the gut and the pain just keeps intensifying.

What a weekend. We lost the series to the Diamondbacks which I hate more than anyone here could ever understand. The weekend they celebrate their 2001 World Series against us, we lose again. Luis Gonzalez didn't deliver the crushing blow this time but that spirit still lives on. Of all the times I wanted the Yankees to win, this ranks high up there. We lose again, and it stings.

Then to add insult to injury, we all get to sit and hold our breath about Aaron Judge, who is back on the Injured List. On September 2nd, we wrote AARON JUDGE IS CLOSE TO A RETURN - BUT IS HE READY? I was worried he wasn't going to be ready because a rub injury is no joke and our medical staff IS a joke. Now Judge lasted 7 games before his next problem....a calf strain.

I swear I am so sick about this team and their calf strains. It is ridiculous! Here we are again. Judge has a right calf strain, and we don't know how bad it is. Our plan of attack includes hoping that we can get him back by the last game of the regular season and ready for the postseason. This sounds a little scary....

"They haven't told me yet [grade of muscle strain]. But he did reveal that the strain was to the soleus muscle, which he said "is a little more crucial with running and hitting," said Judge.

"It doesn't matter what grade it is, said Aaron Boone. "We're going to get him back, or we're not. That's what we're going to work to do, and we'll see."

That doesn't make me feel great. For the record, I don't believe that the Yankees don't know what grade strain he has. They absolutely do, they are just trying to keep it under wraps.....which makes it sound really really bad. It also makes the rest of us speculate which is dangerous.

Soleus muscle injuries can be precursors to Achilles tears if they are not treated properly or if someone is rushed back prematurely. Judge is so important to this team, but if they don't rehab this correctly it could cost us the rest of the season. The Yankees are six games behind the Rays with seven games left to go. Odds are the Yankees are going to be playing in the Wild Card spot again....and we need Judge ready to contribute.

A Wild Card berth means the Red Sox would be waiting for us again. The Red Sox are always a pain in the ass, but would be an even bigger one without Judge. That's just something I don't want to think about.

It's been a rough season, and even though the regular season is almost over it certainly isn't getting easier. This is definitely more than I want to stress about right now. It's time for the bleeding to stop. It's time to start praying to baseball gods and asking for a postseason miracle.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

GREAT PITCHING ALONE WON’T SAVE THE YANKEES

There is no question the Yankees have the pitching to make a serious run in October. The rotation is strong, the bullpen can shorten games, and when everything is clicking, this staff can shut down anybody.

But here’s the problem: pitching cannot carry a dead offense forever.

The loss of Aaron Judge changes everything. He is not simply the Yankees’ best hitter—he is the one player opposing pitchers fear. When Judge is missing, the lineup becomes easier to navigate. Pitchers can attack everyone else without worrying about the big man waiting around the corner.

That puts even more pressure on Ben Rice.

Rice has shown that he can provide legitimate power and change a game with one swing. Now the Yankees need him to prove he can do it when the pressure rises. Cody Bellinger needs to contribute. The middle of the order needs to produce. Someone must take control instead of waiting for Judge to return and rescue everybody.

The Yankees can celebrate their record and recent winning streak, but October does not care what happened in September. One quiet night at the plate can end a season. Two quiet nights can send everyone home.

This pitching staff is good enough to win a championship. But if Rice and the rest of these bats don’t step up, it won’t matter.

You cannot pitch your way around an offense that disappears. And without Judge, that is exactly what the Yankees are in danger of becoming.

DEVERS TO THE YANKEES? DO WE REALLY NEED THIS?

Here we go.

Rafael Devers and the Yankees are being mentioned in the same sentence, and naturally Yankee fans are going to start dreaming about home runs into the short porch.

ESPN's Buster Olney recently floated Devers as a potential fit for the Yankees, reportedly saying, "He would be perfect with the Yankees."

Perfect? I'm not so sure.

Nobody needs to convince me Rafael Devers can hit.  The bat isn't my problem. The baggage is. Remember how this whole thing with Boston went down?

When the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman and wanted Devers to move away from third base, Devers publicly pushed back. Then, after Triston Casas went down and Boston approached him about potentially playing first base, Devers wasn't exactly thrilled with that idea either.

Eventually Boston shipped its $313.5 million star to San Francisco. Now we're supposed to look at all of that and say, You know what the Yankees need? Rafael Devers.

Do they? That's the question. This isn't fantasy baseball. You don't just collect names and home-run totals. You're building a clubhouse. And if you're Brian Cashman, before you even think about calling Buster Posey, you'd better know exactly which Rafael Devers you're getting.

Because New York isn't Boston and it sure isn't San Francisco.

If Devers didn't like questions about his position in Boston, wait until he's surrounded by 25 reporters after an 0-for-4 night in the Bronx. That's what concerns me. They need guys willing to do whatever is necessary to win.

Could Devers come here, DH, play some first base and absolutely rake in Yankee Stadium? Of course. Would I love his bat between some of the hitters in this lineup? Absolutely.

But I'm not giving away the farm and taking on a massive contract simply because somebody showed me his Baseball Reference page.

I want to know about the guy. I want to know about the teammate.

And most importantly, I want to know what happens the first time Aaron Boone tells Rafael Devers he's doing something Rafael Devers doesn't particularly want to do. Because we've seen that movie before.

Maybe Devers comes to New York, settles in, lets Judge lead and hits 40 bombs. Great. But before Yankee fans start Photoshopping him into pinstripes, somebody needs to ask the question nobody seems interested in asking:

Do the Yankees really need Rafael Devers... or do they just need Rafael Devers' bat? Those are two very different things.

And after everything we've watched this organization get wrong over the years, that's a distinction Brian Cashman better understand before he picks up the phone.

YANKEES WALKED OFF IN ARIZONA AS VOLPE BEGINS ANOTHER FREE FALL

The Yankees didn’t just lose to the Diamondbacks on Saturday night. They let a winnable game slip away at exactly the wrong time.

Arizona beat the Yankees 5-3 when pinch-hitter Pavin Smith launched a two-run, walk-off home run off Michael Fulmer in the bottom of the ninth inning. The 391-foot shot came immediately after Fulmer issued a controversial leadoff walk to Ildemaro Vargas.

Just like that, it was over. A Boone decision. Remember this as we are entering October baseball.

Cam Schlittler once again did enough to give the Yankees a chance. The rookie allowed only three hits over six innings, surrendering three runs—but just one earned—while lowering his American League-leading ERA to 1.94.

The Yankees didn’t help him.

A Schlittler fielding error opened the door for Arizona in the fifth inning, and Jordan Lawlar made them pay with a two-run triple. New York eventually grabbed a 3-2 lead behind solo home runs from Heliot Ramos and Austin Wells, but the Diamondbacks tied it again before Smith ended it in the ninth. By the way, Wells? Batting .185. Why in the freaking world so I care about a solo homer from this guy once a week if he can't even hit consistently?

The loss dropped the Yankees five games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East with only eight games remaining. Yes, the Yankees have already clinched a playoff spot. No, that doesn’t make losses like this acceptable—not with the division and home-field positioning still hanging in the balance.

And while everyone talks about the walk-off, let’s not act like we don’t see what is happening with Anthony Volpe.

Over his last seven games, Volpe is batting .217 with a .280 on-base percentage and a .304 slugging percentage. He has five hits in 23 at-bats, no home runs and only two RBIs.

That is not production. Those are “not a Major League player” numbers.

Once again, Volpe put together a small stretch of respectable baseball, and Yankee fans immediately declared that he had turned the corner. The broadcasts celebrated him. His defenders rushed back out. Everyone wanted to believe the Yankees had finally been proven right.

Once again, they were fooled.

Now Volpe is free-falling right back toward the same offensive numbers that have followed him throughout his career. This is the problem with judging a player by a handful of games instead of the complete body of work. A hot week doesn’t erase months—or years—of inconsistency. You need to watch the long game.

The Yankees have protected Volpe, promoted Volpe and made excuses for Volpe. Other players are forced to earn their opportunities. Volpe is handed his and then given endless time to justify them.

Meanwhile, the lineup continues to disappear for long stretches. Three runs weren’t enough Saturday night, just as three runs frequently won’t be enough in October. The Yankees have excellent pitching, but even excellent pitching needs support. Schlittler gave them six strong innings, and they still found a way to lose.

Most Yankee outlets will focus on the drama of the walk-off and move along.

Bleeding Yankee Blue will focus on the problem that refuses to disappear. Anthony Volpe still isn’t producing—and pretending otherwise won’t help the Yankees win in October.

YANKEES WIN BIG—BUT JUDGE’S INJURY CHANGES EVERYTHING

Give the Yankees credit. They are finding ways to win, and Friday night’s 9-2 beatdown of the Diamondbacks was another impressive example.

New York buried Arizona with five runs in the first inning and never looked back. Ben Rice launched his 39th home run and added a triple. George Lombard Jr. drove in three runs, including two on his own homer. Gerrit Cole finally looked like Gerrit Cole again, allowing two runs over six innings while becoming the winningest No. 1 overall draft pick in baseball history.

That is the formula the Yankees need: hit early, pitch well and stop making every game feel like open-heart surgery.

But let’s not dance around the real problem. Aaron Judge is hurt again, this time with a calf strain, and he is headed to the injured list. The Yankees can survive a few regular-season games without Judge. Winning four postseason series without him—or with a compromised version of him—is another story.

I don’t believe this team can win it all without a healthy Judge. Rice, Lombard and the rest can contribute, but Judge is the force that changes an opponent’s entire game plan.

Then there is Aaron Boone. Once October arrives and every pitching change, lineup decision and defensive substitution matters, we already know what happens. Boone overthinks, waits too long or finds some new way to blow it under pressure.

So yes, applaud the Yankees. They are winning, showing depth and refusing to fold. But if Judge isn’t right—and Boone is still Boone—the ending may be painfully familiar.

CABRERA NEVER STOOD A CHANCE

Oswaldo Cabrera didn’t make the cut with the Yankees—not because he failed, but because he wasn’t one of their chosen ones. That's the truth and that’s the ugly part.

Cabrera did everything the organization asked. He played all over the field, accepted every role, worked his way back from a devastating injury and hit .288 at Triple-A. He was a terrific teammate and exactly the kind of versatile bench player a contending team should value.

But none of it mattered. Cabrera didn’t receive the organizational protection afforded to Anthony Volpe.

The Yankees have bent over backward to defend Volpe, excuse his failures and manufacture opportunities for him. Cabrera received no such patience. When a roster spot was needed, he was the expendable one.

Then Aaron Boone foolishly hoped Cabrera might clear waivers.

Why would he?

Other organizations aren’t obligated to participate in the Yankees’ favoritism. Cincinnati saw a capable, versatile player with a minor-league option remaining and immediately claimed him. The Reds recognized Cabrera’s value while the Yankees were too busy protecting their preferred players. Boone's a fool.

Bottom line, the wrong infielder went to Cincinnati.

Anthony Volpe should be playing second base for the Reds right now. Instead, Cincinnati landed Cabrera—a player who earned his opportunities but never received the same endless chances.

Cabrera didn’t lose a fair competition. He lost a rigged numbers game.

He simply wasn’t a Yankees favorite—and with this organization, that matters more than performance.

I mean Christ, do the Yankees realize many fans just don't like these Yankee players? It's ridiculous already.

THE YANKEES FAILED OSWALDO CABRERA

There are Yankee moves that make you scratch your head. Then there are Yankee moves that make you wonder if anybody in that front office actually remembers what building a baseball team is supposed to look like.

Designating Oswaldo Cabrera for assignment falls into the second category.

The Yankees DFA’d Cabrera Wednesday to clear a 40-man roster spot for Clarke Schmidt. Technically, that’s the transaction.

But this is bigger than a roster spot.

This is about how the Yankees continue to treat certain players like disposable parts while seemingly giving others every opportunity imaginable to prove they belong.

And Cabrera deserved better.

This is a guy who did whatever the Yankees asked him to do.

Third base? Sure. Second? No problem. Shortstop? He’d do it. Outfield? Give him a glove. Sit on the bench for a week and then suddenly get thrown into the lineup somewhere he hadn’t played in a month?

Oswaldo Cabrera would smile and say, “Let’s go.” Was he a superstar? Of course not. That’s not the point.

Cabrera was exactly the kind of player championship teams need — a versatile, energetic utility player who understood his role, never complained and was willing to do just about anything to help the New York Yankees win.

And after battling back from that horrific ankle injury, Cabrera went to Triple-A and hit .288 with a .790 OPS this season.

His reward? DFA. Beautiful.

Meanwhile, we continue to hear about Anthony Volpe. 

CC Sabathia recently talked about Volpe’s “perseverance and determination,” and look, I understand CC’s point. Volpe didn't quit when the Yankees finally sent him to Triple-A. He worked. He made adjustments. He learned second base even though he didn't want to. He hit the baseball down there.

Good for him. Seriously. But perseverance cannot become another excuse for pretending the previous four years didn't happen. Volpe entered this latest opportunity with an 85 wRC+ across parts of four major-league seasons. This year, before his demotion, he was hitting .240/.325/.322 with one home run in 56 games.

At some point, Major League Baseball has to be about major-league production. And let's also stop rewriting the reason Volpe came back.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hurt his thumb and went on the injured list. The Yankees suddenly needed another second baseman. José Caballero had already stepped in at second, but Caballero's value to this roster is his ability to move around the diamond.

So Volpe got the call. That's roster necessity. That's different from the Yankees suddenly deciding Anthony Volpe had conquered Triple-A and earned his triumphant return to the Bronx.

Maybe Volpe has figured something out. Who knows. I really don't care anymore.

The Yankees' fascination with making Anthony Volpe happen has gone on long enough that fans have every right to question why the standards appear different depending on whose name is on the back of the uniform.

Because that's what bothers me about Cabrera. Oswaldo Cabrera earned the right to be useful to this team. He accepted every role. He played everywhere. He came back from a devastating injury. He produced in Scranton. And the Yankees still decided he was expendable.

The Yankees decided preserving their pitching depth and keeping their other roster possibilities open was more important than keeping Cabrera on the 40-man roster.

That's their right. But fans have the right to call it what it looks like, too. Another good Yankee gets squeezed while the organization continues bending over backward to find roles and opportunities for players it has decided are part of the plan.

That's the problem. It's not that Anthony Volpe shouldn't have been recalled when Jazz went down. The roster situation made the move understandable.

It's that Oswaldo Cabrera seemingly never received the same runway.

One player gets patience. Another gets DFA'd. One gets talked about in terms of determination and development. The other does everything asked of him, fights his way back from a gruesome injury, hits .288 in Triple-A and gets shown the door.

Oswaldo Cabrera wasn't Aaron Judge. Nobody ever claimed he was. He was something every good baseball team needs. A good Yankee. A useful Yankee. A selfless Yankee.

And once again, the Yankees somehow found a way to make that guy the expendable one. Maybe another organization claims Cabrera and actually appreciates what he brings to a roster.

I hope they do. Because Oswaldo Cabrera earned his opportunity. The Yankees just decided someone else deserved it more. And we've seen that movie before.