The 2026 MLB All-Star festivities came and went in a flash, meaning that it's time for the Yankees to recalibrate and focus on the second half of the regular season. Although being second place in the American League is nothing to scoff at, the Yankees' record could be much better if not for various roster issues, leaving general manager Brian Cashman with a decent-sized to-do list before the trade deadline arrives on Monday, Aug. 3. There are officially fewer than three weeks until the deadline, leaving the Yankees with limited time to make the moves necessary to cement their World Series contender status. Cashman & Co. will need to work diligently to erase any concerns that could hold New York back from reaching its potential, beginning with this move that must be made before August. Upgrading SS should be one of Yankees' pre-trade deadline priorities Yankees fans will tell you that the front office should be focused on finding upgrades at catcher, third base and in the bullpen before the trade deadline. They aren't wrong about that; however, it's safe to say that the Bronx Bombers would also be better off finding a way to improve their shortstop situation, too. Anthony Volpe is only 25 years old and his trade value might be at an all-time high, but that doesn't mean he's doing much to help the Yankees on the field. The former 2019 first-rounder is slashing a pedestrian .246/.342/.326 with one home run, 13 RBIs, 20 walks, seven stolen bases (on 11 attempts) and a 0.9 WAR in 45 games. His plus-6 outs above average rank 12th-best among shortstops this season, per Baseball Savant, but his strong defensive performances have been too few and far between. A few alternate angles on that Anthony Volpe play #Yankees pic.twitter.com/d53rdFCHf7— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) June 9, 2026Volpe simply isn't good enough to help the Yankees capture the Commissioner's Trophy. Unfortunately, it isn't as if they have any surefire internal replacements ready, either. José Caballero filled in as the Yankees' No. 11 SS when Volpe was sidelined to begin the year and is slashing .290/.281/.484 with two HRs and seven RBIs in his last 10 games (31 at-bats). The Chipola College product can be streaky, though, and his rollercoaster June performance proves it, as he finished last month with a .210 batting average and .657 OPS with a 32.1% strikeout rate in 24 games. After Volpe and Caballero, no one has seen considerable time at SS for the Yankees this season. Third baseman Ryan McMahon has played 10 innings at shortstop, which didn't amount to much, while utilityman Max Schuemann has played 24. For reference, Volpe and Caballero are sitting at 356 2/3 and 461 innings, respectively. Shortstop options outside of the BronxIf Cashman wants to go shortstop hunting before the MLB trade deadline, he shouldn't run into any shortage of options. The Astros appear to be potential deadline sellers, with the versatile Isaac Paredes a trade target who could help improve the left side of the Yankees' infield. The two-time MLB All-Star has 12 HRs, 49 RBIs and a 2.2 WAR in 91 outings with Houston and also has a conditional club option for the 2027 season, per Spotrac. If they want more of a natural SS, though, Paredes' teammate—Jeremy Peña (six HRs, 22 RBIs and 15 walks in 51 games—could also be on the menu. Jeremy Peña is one potential trade target who could help improve the Yankees' shortstop situation. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Nationals' CJ Abrams is another talented SS who could be on the move. Yankees OnSI's Michael Rosenstein advocated for a potential trade earlier this month, emphasizing the need in the wake of Aaron Judge's ongoing injured list stint. Yes, Abrams is a left-handed bat at a time when the club is missing power from the right side of the lineup. But the club has seen enough to know that Anthony Volpe isn't the long-term answer at shortstop. And as much as the Yankees love José Caballero, he's not the long-term answer either.Michael Rosenstein, Yankees OnSIAs great as adding any of the aforementioned trio would be, trading for one would likely require giving up some decent prospects. That's why the Yankees might prefer to hold on to their rising young guns, instead focusing on potentially trading for more affordable names like the Red Sox's Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the Rockies' Willi Casto or the Angels' Zach Neto. Top prospect George Lombard Jr. could be the organization's long-term SS solution, but he's still recovering from sprained fingers. He'll need to work through a rehab stint before shaking off any lingering rust, meaning Lombard might not be available to join New York until September, if not next spring. No matter what the eventual solution looks like, the fact remains that the Yankees can't afford to maintain the status quo at shortstop. Volpe and Caballero aren't the type of players Boone can reliably trust on a daily basis, let alone once the playoffs begin. New York must make it a priority to find help before the trade deadline arrives, as that could be the difference between a potential World Series run and an early offseason. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow