Jazz Chisholm Jr. isn’t going to get paid the money that Bo Bichette got in free agency a year ago.
Bichette, leaving the Toronto Blue Jays, got a three-year deal for $126 million from the New York Mets. That’s $42 million per year.
But the New York Yankees‘ free agent Chisholm could look to Bichette for inspiration for a different reason — Bichette signed the type of contract Chisholm might get on a lesser scale.
The key to Bichette’s deal was the opt-out clauses he had put after each season. If he wanted, he could’ve gone into free agency this offseason — although he opted-in — and he’ll have that choice again next offseason.
The team that lands Chisholm in free agency, whoever it ends up being, may have to use opt-out clauses to their advantage in negotiations.
Jazz Chisholm Free Agent Update
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote a new article that published Monday in which he examined 10 free agent setups that will be in focus soon.
One is Chisholm, and Nightengale raised the idea of the opt-out clause.
“He could be in for a rude awakening in the free agent market with executives openly wondering if anyone would give him more than a two-year contract,” Nightengale writes. “No one can debate his talent. He may need an opt-out on any multi-year proposal so he can hit market again and re-establish himself.”
There have been a wide variety of teams thrown around as destinations for Chisholm, and it’s too soon to know exactly where he might end up.
Why Opt-Out Clause
The opt-out clause would be specifically for Chisholm. It would allow him to re-enter free agency sooner, if he wants, than a long-term deal with no opt-outs.
Since it doesn’t sound like Chisholm is going to be offered his potentially peak value this offseason, it might be in his best interests to sign a contract that he can get out of if he plays superbly well in 2027.
For an offering team, you’d give the opt-out clause as the cherry on top of the deal. If two offers are similar but one has the opt-out clause, that could be the one Chisholm takes.
Sure, there’d be risk of losing Jazz after a year. But if that happened, it’d likely be because Chisholm played particularly well in the meantime.
Yankees’ Free Agent Jazz Chisholm Jr. Might Need Bo Bichette Path