The New York Yankees will have a chance to keep Jazz Chisholm Jr. this offseason.
He’s heading for free agency, but the Yankees aren’t shy about offering sizable contracts to players they want to keep.
The problem here is that the Yanks may decide they aren’t willing to pay Chisholm what he would want to stick around, which could result in him finding a new home in free agency.
This is actually Chisholm’s first foray into free agency. He was with the Miami Marlins to begin his career, and he came to the Yankees via trade.
Now, Chisholm has a chance to cash in. That payday might come from an unexpected place.
Jazz Chisholm Predicted Landing Spot
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer wrote in a new article on Tuesday about where he thinks Chisholm might up, and it’s a fascinating move — the Los Angeles Angels.
Chisholm would be the Angels’ latest attempt to get Mike Trout to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
“Chisholm could be in for a multi-year deal,” Rymer writes. “Yet after falling well short of his 50-50 goal and posting just 1.7 rWAR this year, the 28-year-old might be better off pursuing a one-year contract and reentering the market next winter. The Angels are just one of many teams that would have to be interested in such a deal. They are in need of help at the keystone, specifically, and upside on offense, generally. Chisholm can provide both, and some energy to boot. Depending on when the sale is finalized, signing Chisholm would also be a relatively low-risk way for Stan Kroenke to ingratiate himself with his new fanbase. Even if a one-year deal for Chisholm is valued at $20-plus million, he can afford it.”
The Angels have a fascinating outlook ahead with their new ownership, which clashes a decent amount with what their current team outlook feels like.
They’ve often been floated as a team that could trade experienced MLB players away, like shortstop Zach Neto.
But if the Angels go out and sign Chisholm, they’d certainly keep Neto to form a strong middle infield duo.
Why Yankees Would Let Jazz Chisholm Leave
For Chisholm to reach the Angels, of course, the Yankees would likely have to not offer him a reasonable new deal, because the second baseman has publicly seemed open to a return to the Bronx.
“I love it as a Yankee,” Chisholm said when the season ended.
Do they love him back?
“The Yankees have seemed ready to move on from Chisholm for months, and they have two potential replacements at second base in Anthony Volpe and Luis García Jr.,” Rymer writes.
The Yankees could certainly decide to just load up on talent and make it fit, but they may also choose to let Chisholm walk and focus their resources elsewhere.
Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Predicted to Team Up With All-Time Great in Free Agency