Yankees get bad trade update on potential Anthony Volpe replacement from NL East

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Anthony Volpe's time with the New York Yankees may be running out.

Granted, that's been said a lot over the past few seasons. But Volpe has shown few signs of improvement in his fourth season in the Majors.

It's one of the reasons ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel tabbed the Yankees as one of the best trade fits for a shortstop from the National League East.

However, the ESPN duo gave the All-Star just a 15% chance of being traded, so New York's potential interest may be all for naught.

"Evaluators simply don't think he's a good shortstop. Defensive metrics firmly agree," Passan and McDaniel wrote about Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams. "And among the limited number of teams looking to fill that position, the exceptional return that president of baseball operations Paul Toboni would seek, and the Nationals still firmly in contention right now, it's probably not the time for Abrams to move."

Abrams is having a breakout season at the plate, already hitting 14 home runs with an .876 OPS.

As detailed, it's Abrams' defensive woes that could make the Yankees and other interested clubs turn the other way.

It appears he might be better suited for second base or a move to the outfield, as the Yankees also have a talented defensive shortstop in George Lombard Jr. waiting in the wings.

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For now, a trade between the Yankees and Nationals involving Abrams feels unlikely. Other clubs could bet that his defense will come around, and maybe it will.

But that feels like a strong chance to take given his recent history at shortstop.