Aaron Boone Explains Yankees Controversial Infield Choices

In 2025, the New York Yankees fell behind in part because of sloppy defense, and the makeup of their infield was hotly debated during the hardest parts of the regular season. Now, in hindsight, manager Aaron Boone is opening up about some of the decisions he made, and how they affected the team's chances.

"What about from the infield standpoint? Because I look at that stretch as well and — giving DJ [LeMahieu] his last shot, having Jazz [Chisholm] play third, and you guys went from best infield defensively to, that three week stretch, to one of, or I think it was, the worst," Jomboy of Talkin' Yanks asked Boone in a recent interview. "And then you pulled the plug and it got righted."

Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) runs of the field between innings during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"That was where [Anthony] Volpe went through a tough stretch, obviously in the middle of the season defensively, and I think it kind of snowballed even a little but with Jazz," Boone said. "[...] We all would acknowledge that Jazz is a second baseman and should be playing second, but I think it's important to acknowledge that he was really good at third last year. And he was really good at third even when he went there this year, and is really capable there."

"I think the snowball of those weeks, where we were making some mistakes in some other places, kind of bled into third a little too. So it became, mentally, a tough stretch for us."

The Rough Infield Stretch Over the Summer

The stretch in question came when Chisholm was coming back to the game from a longer than expected stint on the injured list, due to an oblique injury that held him up for three weeks beginning in early May. Throughout the stretch in June, Chisholm stressed that he should have been playing second base and is a second baseman, and eventually made his way back to his natural position.

Oct 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) celebrates after hitting a double in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game one of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

When the conversation turned back to Volpe at shortstop, Boone shared that he would be willing to give Volpe more days off (assuming he is the starting shortstop when he returns to full health). Boone affirmed that he has faith in Jose Caballero at that position when the time comes, and he is likely to start there in the spring while Volpe is recovering in the minors.

Caballero Complementing Volpe?

"I feel like with Cabby, we're in a much better position have a premium guy over there who can handle the position and do things," Boone said.

Jomboy described a pattern he's noticed with Volpe, where he seems to do very well with time off, noting that Caballero might be a good option to trade off with Volpe even when he is back to full health, in order to get the best from everyone.

Sep 23, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) reacts after hitting a walk off single against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

"He seems, [with a] three-year sample size now, to benefit from time off," Jomboy added. "He's come back from every All Star break with two weeks on fire. He started the last two seasons on fire. [...] So with Caballero it would be nice [...] to use that."

"Yeah, Caballero is a good player to have, yeah. He's a good player," Boone said. "[...] He's game within the game really well. Glad we got him."

Caballero was a trade deadline acquisition and immediately became a favorite among long-suffering fans frustrated by Volpe's persistent defensive issues. With any luck, the two options can bolster each other in 2026.

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