Anthony Volpe sounds fed up, and the Yankees need to listen

"Enough's enough" was the part of Anthony Volpe's postgame response that stuck with me. Speaking after Wednesday's elimination, the Yankees infielder described the frustration of another disappointing season ending, as reported by Ronald Blum of the Associated Press . He wasn't asking anyone to feel sorry for him.

I like hearing that from a player whose own season was hardly comfortable. The useful response isn't to hand Volpe his old shortstop job back. It's to give him a clear chance to earn a different everyday role, with an honest explanation of what has to improve.

That distinction gets lost when a good quote becomes a referendum on whether somebody cares enough. Volpe was talking about losing, not publicly blaming his manager or teammates. His frustration can be genuine without becoming proof that his bat is fixed.

The Yankees have to judge the whole season

Volpe finished the regular season batting .245 with a .321 on-base percentage and .336 slugging percentage. He hit two home runs in 246 plate appearances. A .657 OPS doesn't earn an automatic place in the middle of an infield just because the player handled adversity well.

Wednesday also supplied a reason not to dismiss him. Starting at second base in place of Jazz Chisholm Jr. , he had an infield hit and an RBI double. The double initially appeared to be a tying home run before replay determined fan interference had affected the play. The final ruling matters: it wasn't a home run taken away despite clearing the wall on its own.

The Yankees needed offense, and Volpe contributed in an elimination game. That deserves credit. It doesn't erase the quieter nights that made his place on the team uncertain in the first place.

His move beyond shortstop is already underway. He returned to the majors in September playing second base, after working at other infield positions in Triple-A. George Lombard Jr. is part of the club's shortstop picture now. A spring competition shouldn't require undoing that development merely to restore the arrangement Volpe had before his demotion.

Give him an assignment, not another vague promise

I'd prepare Volpe for a serious second-base competition and keep his third-base work going. The Yankees haven't announced that plan, and it depends on what happens with Chisholm and the rest of the infield this winter.

A versatile reserve role is a reasonable alternative if a better everyday second baseman is available. There is nothing insulting about asking Volpe to make that job difficult to take from him. The club shouldn't promise a starting position that his production hasn't secured, then spend another summer struggling to explain why the promise still stands.

What I'd ask for is specific: more extra-base damage without giving away the on-base percentage, dependable work at the position he's actually competing for, and a stretch of good at-bats that lasts beyond a memorable return or one playoff game. Those are baseball standards he can work toward.

Volpe sounded tired of ending seasons this way. By spring, the Yankees should be able to tell him exactly how they expect him to help change it.