January 8th marks the arbitration deadline across Major League Baseball for teams and certain players to agree on a one-year contract for the 2026 season. For select players who do not reach a deal with their current organization, the contract dispute will be referred to a panel of third-party arbitrators, who will settle the contract claim at a later date.
For the New York Yankees, they had a handful of contracts that needed to be worked out, which included infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. It was reported late Thursday night that the Yankees and Jazz Chisholm Jr. had settled on a one-year, $10.1 million deal to avoid arbitration.
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Jazz Chisholm Jr. Avoids Arbitration
Jazz Chisholm Jr. produced a 4.2 bWAR in 2025, which granted the Yankees’ infielder a $10 million contract for the 2026 season. During the latter stages of the Yankees’ season, there were some rumblings that Jazz eagerly wanted a contract extension, but the Yankees had not thought about one yet.
Even this offseason, there have been rumors that Jazz may be traded, and those don’t necessarily go away with Chisholm Jr. avoiding arbitration, but the Yankees likely feel that his services at $10 million/year is a steal.
The 27-year-old lefty slugger seems to really enjoy hitting in Yankee Stadium, which any left-handed power threat would with the short porch in right field. Over 176 games with the Yankees since coming over from the Miami Marlins, Jazz has 42 home runs and 103 RBIs in pinstripes.
His 2025 campaign featured 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases, so that makes Jazz a multi-faceted offensive threat.
Jazz wasn’t the only Yankees player to avoid arbitration, either. New York completed a deal with David Bednar ($9 million), Camilo Doval ($6.1 million), and Anthony Volpe ($3.45 million). That’s $15 million tied into the bullpen with arbitration funds.
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What is New York’s Next Offseason Move?
The New York Yankees have had a slow offseason to this point, but maybe they have been waiting to complete these arbitration-eligible players’ contracts before moving on to sign any big free agents.
While they have made some bargain moves, the Yankees are still awaiting the decisions of Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, as both former MVPs remain unsigned.
Both New York MLB teams have continuously been linked to the top available names, but with just seven weeks remaining in MLB’s offseason, the time is now for the Yankees to make a big splash. It’s thought that they are in the market for a starting pitcher while Gerrit Cole continues to rehab, and that can happen either via a trade or by signing a top available arm.
Either way, these are two very important months for the Yankees heading into 2026 Spring Training.
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Yankees Make $10 Million Decision on Jazz Chisholm Jr.