MLB Rumors: Could the Yankees demote Anthony Volpe?

Anthony Volpe is slashing just .191/.268/.358 so far in his big-league career, though his value goes far beyond that. Timely hits, including a game-winning home run against the Dodgers this weekend, can be lethal when paired with what has overall been sound defense at shortstop.

Shortstop is one of the most demanding positions in baseball and sports. Developing at the major-league level takes time and patience, something the Yankees and their fanbase often don't have enough of. That is why calls for his demotion have grown in recent days, especially with the way Oswald Peraza is playing in the minors. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic echoed that argument:

"Volpe, 22, continues to produce meaningful hits, the latest his ninth homer, a two-run shot, against the Dodgers on Sunday. But the Yankees' other shortstop prospect, Oswald Peraza, recently hit 10 homers in a 15-game stretch at Triple A. He would represent a reasonable alternative if the team wanted to give Volpe a chance to reset in the minors."

It's easy to merely look at Volpe's slash line and compare it to the vastly-improved Peraza's in Triple A and suggest the Yanks should make a switch. But baseball isn't that simple, and sending Volpe down at this point may do more harm than good. Not to mention, what happens if Peraza also struggles?

Yanks Go Yard's Adam Weinrib scoffed at the thought of sending Volpe down this early. It's only June, after all:

"Yes, the Yankees should absolutely stick with Volpe. They made the decision on Opening Day not only to carry him north, but to make him their starting shortstop, a position that holds great significance for the franchise. After two months, you can't about face on that plan — especially when Volpe is among the team's WAR leaders and is days removed from a clutch homer at Dodger Stadium, despite his struggles. And "development" is such a buzzword. What does he have left to gain at AAA, other than removing himself from the spotlight? What will he learn from that? And imagine if Peraza struggles? Then what?

Volpe getting meaningful reps at the MLB level is more important for the future of this franchise than some quick fix for a team that's 10 games over .500 and probably doesn't require panic."

It's understandable that Volpe's Opening Day roster spot came with high expectations. Often time, however, that's just not how baseball works. Volpe just turned 22 in lat April. Give him some time.

MLB Rumors: What are the Phillies trade deadline plans?

The Phillies are in a tough spot as we near the middle of June. Just over a month away from the MLB trade deadline, Philadelphia general manager Dave Dombrowski has a decision to make — does he trade players away from last year's NL pennant-winning team, or does he add and try to make another run?

The answer, it would appear, is more geared towards the latter. Dombrowski and the Phils have won five straight and face the lowly Tigers again on Wednesday. In fact, it's Dombrowski's experience with the Tigers that prepared him for his time in Philly.

In 2015, Dombrowski was in the final year of his contract, but still sold a number of assets away from a Tigers club that was expected to content before the year. There are more parallels between that team and the 2023 Phillies, as injuries were a sticking point, especially to start the year. To his credit, Dombrowski doesn't necessarily see it that way, and thus may still buy at the deadline anyway.

"What are we, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves?" Dombrowski said, per The Athletic. "They've got a good club. But we have really good starting pitching. When it's pitching well, it can shut down anybody. We have a really good bullpen, a shutdown bullpen. And our good hitters can hit good pitching as well as anybody when they're playing well. That's the key for us. If we can get to that point, once you get in, then you take your chances."

The Phillies executive has been encouraged by the last few games. Sitting in fourth in the crowded NL East, every game counts at this juncture.

MLB Rumors: Shane Bieber's trade value goes down

If the Cleveland Guardians don't make a run in the putrid AL Central by mid-July, the odds are in favor of them trading Shane Bieber. While Bieber is the ace of their pitching staff right now, Cleveland is also one of the best teams in the majors at developing pitching talent. In fact, were Bieber to leave right now, the likes of Triston McKenzie, Aaron Civale, Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee and even Gavin Williams — a top-50 prospect — are all capable of stepping up in his place.

And that's why Cleveland will likely consider, and perhaps trade away, one of the best pitchers in the American League. Bieber sports a 3.57 ERA as of this writing, but he's not the pitcher he once was, as Zack Meisel points out:

"Bieber has far less margin for error than he did when he wielded a 94 mph fastball and when he leaned heavily on a lethal curveball. This year, though, his strikeout rate has plummeted and he has surrendered more hits and hard contact than ever before. He has tallied four or more strikeouts in only two of his 13 starts. His whiff rate has sharply decreased this season."

Rival teams may not view Bieber the way most of the fanbase does. His fastball velocity is a tick over 91 MPH this season, making the gap between his fastball and breaking pitches more narrow than its ever been.

An anonymous executive quoted in Rosenthal's column went as far as to suggest Bieber isn't a difference-maker, albeit a middle-rotation starter who could help a contending team make the postseason. He's not an ace at this point, though, and that'll hurt his value come the deadline.