Any New York Yankees player who has a bad year is bound to spend the offseason wondering if they’ll keep their spot, but it’s rare that such things happen to returning All-Stars.
Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a fantastic campaign, becoming the first Yankee to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in a single season since Alfonso Soriano in 2003. But he’s headed into his final year before free agency, and in a lineup full of left-handed bats, he isn’t always the most consistent with his approach.
Speculation began as soon as the Yankees’ season ended that Chisholm could be traded under certain conditions, and now that the dominoes have begun to fall across the league in both free agency and the trade market, that possibility doesn’t appear to have gone away.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan asserted his strong belief that at least one big-name second baseman in the majors would be traded this offseason, while reporting that the Yankees “had listened” to rival teams calling to inquire about Chisholm’s availability.
“A second baseman is going to move. Maybe multiple,” Passan wrote. “There is too much interest in Ketel Marte, Brendan Donovan and Brandon Lowe for a deal not to be consummated. It’s not just them, either. Jake Cronenworth is available. The Yankees have listened on Jazz Chisholm Jr. The Mets’ overhaul could include moving Jeff McNeil.”
Of the names listed above, Passan seems to indicate that Chisholm being traded would be something of a surprise at this juncture. But it also definitely cannot be ruled out, as the Yankees have a wide variety of bench options on the infield and a clear desire to balance the lineup.
At the very least, it doesn’t sound as though an extension for Chisholm is likely before his free agency next year, and if he’s still around, one can bet the Yankees will thoroughly assess his fit for the roster after his age-28 season.
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