Getty The Yankees need to upgrade their offense before the July 30 trade deadline. Could Jazz Chisholm Jr. be the solution for New York?
The New York Yankees have entered the All-Star break in postseason position. However, they’re looking up at the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East standings and need to supplement their offense by the July 30 trade deadline. Could Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins be a legitimate target?
While discussing potential fits for Chisholm during a July 15 live stream on Bleacher Report, Robbie Hyde proposed the following deal:
- Yankees receive: center fielder/second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.
- Marlins receive: outfielder Everson Pereira, shortstop George Lombard Jr. and left-handed pitcher Brock Selvidge
According to MLB.com, Pereira (fifth), Lombard Jr. (sixth) and Selvidge (10th) are all top-10 prospects in the Yankees’ system. Pereira could start contributing in the big leagues immediately. Meanwhile, Lombard Jr. (Single-A) and Selvidge (Double-A) are longer-term plays.
Chisholm is making $2.625 million in 2024 and is under team control through 2026, per Spotrac.
The Yankees Have Discussed Trading for Chisholm
The Marlins are one of MLB’s obvious sellers ahead of the trade deadline. They’ve entered the All-Star break with a 33-63 record and already shipped Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres in early May.
On July 8, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald also reported there’s a “growing belief” that Chisholm will soon be playing elsewhere. New York appears to be one suitor, per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
“The Yankees have discussed Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Marlins’ talented outfielder-turned-infielder,” Heyman said. “The extent of the interest is unknown, but Chisholm likely would play mostly infield, a Yankees need.”
Chisholm is hitting .249/.321/.407 in 393 plate appearances this season. That’s accompanied by 12 home runs, 12 doubles, 42 RBI, 41 runs scored and 18 steals. He’s proven to be a consistent threat on the bases since his first full big-league campaign in 2021. Chisholm has just barely missed out on registering a 20-20 performance on two occasions – once in 2021 (18 homers and 23 steals) and again in 2023 (19 homers and 22 steals).
Virtually all his playing time on defense has come in center field, but he’s begun playing second base again. The Yankees could install him there in the Bronx to take over for Gleyber Torres, who has fallen short of expectations in 2024.
How Chisholm Could Help New York in Its Juan Soto Pursuit
A versatile position player like Chisholm could fit on multiple contending teams. But how could this kind of acquisition also help the Yankees in their eventual pursuit of outfielder Juan Soto this winter?
Torres is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. Bringing Chisholm into the fold would give the Yankees a multi-year option at second base without having to spend a lot of money. That would be attractive to team owner Hal Steinbrenner, who has publicly said the Bombers’ $300-plus million payroll isn’t sustainable.
Even with that in mind, the Yankees are “expected to be aggressive” in hopes of re-signing Soto. Depending on the market of teams interested in him, bidding could easily surpass the $500 million mark. If New York is serious about bringing Soto back at just about any cost, the club will have to skimp on other areas of the roster regarding financial commitments. Chisholm would certainly help with those efforts.