Those boos might’ve been it for Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The New York Yankees’ season ended Wednesday night when they were eliminated in the ALDS by the Tampa Bay Rays in four games in the best-of-five series.
The Yankees will have a lot to reckon with, from error issues to a lack of clutch hits to how it felt to end a season without Aaron Judge available.
They’ll also have to deal with some upcoming contract questions, and one of those will settle around Chisholm.
So as they consider what comes next with Chisholm, the lasting memory won’t necessarily be of all the positive plays Jazz made for the Yanks.
The last thing he really did this season was get booed by his home fans after a pinch-hit popout with the Yankees’ season just nine outs from being over.
That won’t change the outcome of the offseason for Chisholm and the Yankees, but if it was the end, it sure wasn’t the ending anyone wanted.
Jazz Chisholm Contract Future
The reason this all looms particularly large for Chisholm is that his contract is up.
This was the last year of his deal, something he and the Yankees knew all along.
Before this season, there had been some chatter about whether an extension might arrive, but it wasn’t a huge talking point as the year went on. It became pretty clear that Chisholm was going to reach free agency.
The question then becomes: Do the Yankees have any interest in bringing Chisholm back?
It’s a tough one to answer, because Chisholm seems like the player who will have the most wide-ranging opinions this offseason.
He has impressive power and speed, but he’s had some injury troubles and he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He’s also a streaky hitter, capable of getting quite hot but also going quite cold.
It wouldn’t be a shock if a team gave Chisholm a nine-figure contract. It also wouldn’t be a shock if he struggled to get a long-term deal.
In some ways, his free agency will be like an enigma, tough to figure out.
The Yankees’ roster, as we’ll explain momentarily, may not need Chisholm — so it wouldn’t just be about Chisholm’s fit, but also about his cost.
If he comes cheaper than expected, maybe a reunion would work. If not, maybe those boos will be his Bronx goodbye.
Yankees’ Roster Without Jazz Chisholm
The Yankees probably have to figure out third base this offseason, but that wouldn’t necessarily be aided by Chisholm, unless his return had the Yankees move players who aren’t natural third basemen over to that spot to try and solve it.
But at shortstop, the Yankees will have George Lombard Jr. going forward.
And if Jazz leaves, it would make sense for Anthony Volpe to get a crack at second base. Jose Caballero remains under contract, too.
There have also been suggestions that the Yanks will pursue a different natural second baseman, like power-hitting Brandon Lowe, but that’ll likely depend how they feel about Volpe and Caballero.
A Chisholm return would push a few of those other guys down a rung, and it’s possible the Yankees will prefer a different approach than having a surplus at that spot.
Jazz Chisholm’s Time With Yankees Might Be Done