It has been a busy week in the baseball world with trades going on, and the Yankees have wasted no time getting down to business.
Indeed, it was a fun week for New York Yankees fans who looked excited to see their offense rolling once again. Aside from their extra innings win against their rival Boston Red Sox, there was huge news that trended throughout the day. On Saturday, the Yankees acquired UTL Jazz Chisholm Jr. in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins. The best part of this trade is that New York does not have to worry too much about giving up a load of prospects in exchange for Chisholm.
In exchange for Chisolm, the Yankees parted with C Augustin Ramirez, INF Jared Serna, and UTL Abrahan Ramirez. The former Ramirez and Serna were New York’s 13th and 14th ranked prospects, respectively, before the season. They are both having impressive seasons and now rank 3rd and 5th in a weaker Marlins system, according to FanGraphs. The younger Ramirez is still on the complex and acts as a mere sweetener in the deal.
This was a deal that had to happen considering New York’s recent offensive struggles. Something had to change and New York showed some urgency to add one player who upgrades multiple positions.
How does Jazz Chisholm Fit the Yankees?
There are some questions that will need to be addressed. One of them is, how is Chisholm going to fit in this loaded roster? The most likely outcome is that New York will switch between both outfield and infield positions. He does have some experience playing in both field positions. His resume shows it. For his previous team, he split time with a positional shift from second base to centerfield. Chisolm was originally an infielder, but the Miami front office had decided it would be best for him to become a utility player in which he would split time at both positions. It is worth noting that Chisholm is an above average defender at second base, but defensive metrics disagree about his work roaming the grass.
Then you have his bat along with his speed. He carries a lot of contact with him, something that may have a caught the Yankees eye on why they wanted to pursue him. Even better, he’s a left-handed hitter. Yankees lack lefties in their lineup at the moment since 1B Anthony Rizzo is injured. Acquiring a player like Chisholm makes that stacked lineup more dynamic. He would most likely fill in the middle of the order role in which the team has struggled to get production from to this point.
Next, you got his speed. If the Yankees need to steal some bags, he can do it. New York stole 43 stolen bases this year which is ranked 29th in the entire league. Hopefully, with the latest addition of Chisholm he can help provide some spark on the base paths. Jazz is hitting .251 with 23 steals. The average is one of the higher figures on the Bombers, and the steal total is easily the highest.
What Is Next For New York?
New York hopes they continue to make some deals before Tuesday’s trade deadline hits. Currently, they’re looking for at least one more bat and a couple of relievers. In addition, it was rumored that they have checked in with the San Francisco Giants on the availability of LHP Blake Snell. This is kind of surprising to hear because Snell is not a reliever, but rather a starting pitcher. New York is not alone in this situation. The San Diego Padres amongst others have also expressed interested in the reigning Cy Young winner.
As for the relievers the Yankees might target, there are a couple of names that come to mind, most notably LHP Tanner Scott. His name has caught the attention of multiple teams who are seeking some bullpen help. But he is not the only one out there. The Yankees are also rumored to target right-hander RP Kyle Finnegan, who has a 3.48 ERA over 44 innings pitched. Scott is a pending free agent, while Finnegan has one more year of team control after this.
How Did Chisholm Fare in His Debut?
Chisholm did not disappoint in his debut with the Yankees Sunday night. He ended up going 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run for the night. He would have to wait for his last at-bat late in the game to get his first hit. Jazz batted fifth in the lineup and played centerfield.
The newest Yank was even better Monday night against the Philadelphia Philles. In a blowout win, Chisholm went 2-4 with a home run, three RBIs, a walk, and two runs while playing third base. It is already clear the Yankees will use him in multiple ways and that he deepens the lineup.
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