3 Potential Anthony Volpe Trade Partners for Yankees to Capitalize on His Rising Value

Anthony Volpe is having a solid season and it could be a time for the New York Yankees to sell high on him.

There's a chance that Anthony Volpe could land with one of these clubs if the Yankees shop him before the MLB trade deadline. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

If one were to pinpoint the Yankees' issues as of late, while some of their best players sit on the injured list, Anthony Volpe isn't one of the top three issues. That would've been unfathomable earlier in the season. There may be some lingering resentment over his past play, and even some who feel that José Caballero should be the shortstop, but Volpe, in a vacuum, has been fine.

So far this year, Volpe is slashing .278/.381/.381 with a 120 wRC+. His 1.0 WAR has already matched his 2025 performance, while his .762 OPS is a new career-high for the 25-year-old SS. His defense has also improved, as far as the metrics are concerned, with plus-2 outs above average at short and an even defensive runs saved rating, per Baseball Savant.

ANOTHER multi-hit game for Anthony Volpe pic.twitter.com/YBNAeAcDCe

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 23, 2026

Whether Volpe's hot streak lasts or not is an entirely separate argument. If anything, this could be a time where the Yankees sell high on their once top prospect and hand over the reins to Caballero until they figure out what to do at shortstop for next season. There could be plenty of opportunities to do so as the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline quickly approaches.

There are at least three intriguing trade candidates for Volpe, and each has something to offer the Yankees.

1. Rockies

At some point, Ethan Holliday will be up. The 19-year-old phenom is crushing Single-A, and the Rockies could view Volpe as a high upside stopgap until then. Think of it as the Yankees version of trading for Isiah Kiner-Falefa while Volpe himself waited in the wings.

Volpe could be a part of a deal that brings in Jaden Hill, their 26-year-old reliever, whom the Rockies drafted out of LSU in the second round back in 2021. Hill has a blistering fastball that averages 97.3 mph, and is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA and 59 strikeouts across 56 innings with Colorado in the last two seasons.

If the Yankees need heat (and they should, given their bullpen issues), Hill could be of some service.

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jaden Hill (0) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

New York also needs some catching help, and Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman has been discussed as a potential trade target. Perhaps the Yankees could dangle Volpe to potentially land the one-time All-Star backstop, who's batting .243 with 21 home runs, 39 RBIs, an .821 OPS and a 1.9 WAR this season.

2. Dodgers

Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas are a part of the shortstop group for the Dodgers, and as a team, they have an 87 wRC+. Defensively, they're fine, though. As a team, they have a 6 OAA and 9 DRS at the position.

The Dodgers could view Volpe as a younger option for the position, since he is still 25. Reliever Kyle Hurt could be an option the Yankees look to offload Volpe for. He averages 96.3 mph on his fastball and has a 95th percentile 31.4% strikeout rate. He also wouldn't be a free agent until 2031, giving New York some much-needed consistency in its bullpen.

3. Braves

The Braves are in the same position as the Dodgers. They're a contender who has struggled offensively at the shortstop position for the most part. Right now, their best option is Mauricio Dubón, who is slashing .264/.316/.417 on the season. He has stabilized the position for the most part, but Dubón has never had a full season as an above-average hitter.

Right now, Dubón's 103 wRC+ is the highest of his career, and he's 31 years old. What he brings is elite shortstop production, though, with an 8 OAA at the position.

The Braves could be tempted to replace Mauricio Dubón at shortstop with Anthony Volpe. | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

It seems unlikely that the Braves would make a move for the future in the middle of their own pennant race.

However, if there were an opportunity to offload Volpe to give him a fresh start elsewhere and bring in a capable MLB veteran, Dubón could be a solid addition—especially since he's on an expiring contract, negating any long-term risk. He could be that stopgap shortstop for the rest of the year until they bring up George Lombard Jr. at some point, potentially by Aug. 1. That is, as long as Lombard isn't traded for Tarik Skubal.