When the Yankees acquired José Caballero on deadline day last month, it was something of a surprise. For one thing, the Yankees had already added three position players in Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario, and Austin Slater. For another, Caballero came from a division rival that was just a game below .500 and, ostensibly, still in the playoff race. With Anthony Volpe firmly entrenched at shortstop, it was unclear what the versatile 28-year-old’s role would be.

Through the first three weeks of his Yankees career, that role has become clear: sparkplug. It’s a role GM Brian Cashman has been seeking to fill for quite some time. He traded for utilitymen Tim Locastro midseason in 2021 and Jon Berti just before Opening Day last year. Both of those players had a few things in common — defensive versati

See Full Page