Now that the New York Yankees have been eliminated from the postseason, free agency conversations are heating up.
Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is among the talk, but one MLB insider has issued a clear warning to teams that may be interested in acquiring him.
Yankees’ Insider Warns Teams of Chisholm’s Downfall
According to Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, 28-year-old Chisholm is one of the top free agents other MLB organizations should avoid chasing after.
His dwindling performance throughout his 2026 campaign raised red flags that still stand tall.
“Can anyone justify giving him anything close to the sort of $300M contract he thought he was worth heading into this season?” Miller wrote. “If that market never comes together and he settles for something like a one-year, $25M deal with a $22M player option for a second season, that might be a bargain. Any sort of contract that goes into the 2030s, however, is a terrifying proposition.”
By the end of Chisholm’s 2025 run, he was slashing .242/.332/.481 with a .813 OPS and a career-high 31 homers through 130 games.
But this year, he finished with a slash line of .231/.312/.399 with a .711 OPS and 19 home runs through 137 games.
He logged 16 doubles, three triples and 55 RBIs along the way.
Now entering free agency, Chisholm is caught up in a surplus of rumors.
As detailed by Chris Kirschner of The Athletic on Oct. 13, “There should be concerns about signing Chisholm to a long-term deal because he has some of the worst bat-to-ball skills in MLB, consistently ranking poorly in in-zone contact rates and swing-and-miss metrics. Those skills tend to decline as players age.”
He’s in his age-28 season with seven years of Major League Baseball experience. His career has been split between the Miami Marlins and New York.
It’s looking more likely that Chisholm will be shipping elsewhere.
Nonetheless, Miller’s warning is a fair one.
Striking a colossal deal to acquire him would come with great, and perhaps unnecessary, risk.
Yankees Approach Hot Stove Season After Postseason Elimination
New York — and its loyal fans — would have preferred to be experiencing postseason success right now.
Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Rays knocked them out of contention, forcing the ballclub to watch from the sidelines.
But there’s a silver lining; the Yankees can get a head start on hot stove season plans in an attempt to bolster their roster for their 2027 campaign.
With a handful of impending free agents, including Chisholm, Trent Grisham, David Bednar and Paul Goldschmidt, there could be several gaps needing to be plugged.
Of course, retaining a few of their top names would be ideal, but hot stove season is known for surprise and unexpected transactions.
MLB Free Agency: Yankees’ Insider Issues Stark Warning on Jazz Chisholm Jr.