By Sam DiGiovanni
PHILADELPHIA, PA July 12, 2024 — Jazz Chisholm Jr. is almost certainly going to be traded ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. The Miami Marlins centerfielder has been linked to several teams, including the New York Yankees.
The Yankees are interested in Chisholm but would likely move him back to the infield, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Seattle Mariners have been pointed to as a potential competitor in the trade market for the flashy, versatile 26-year-old.
After a red-hot start to the 2024 season, the Yankees have lost 15 of their last 20 games. Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and the injured Giancarlo Stanton are the only threats at the plate and their once-historic pitching has regressed back to the mean.
Heyman writes the following: “The Yankees have discussed Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Marlins’ talented outfielder-turned-infielder. The extent of the interest is unknown, but Chisholm likely would play mostly infield, a Yankees need. The Mariners are another possible landing spot for Chisholm.”
Chisholm started his MLB career playing second base and shortstop before the Marlins moved him to center, where he has turned into a very solid defender. He’s not a monster at the plate, posting a just-above-average .752 OPS over 2024 and 2023, but he’s fast and good for an extra-base hit every now and then.
The Mariners don’t even have someone like Judge or Soto to shoulder the workload on offense this season. Even Julio Rodriguez has been unproductive at the plate. Chisholm would be a marginal upgrade as Seattle potentially bets on its star outfielder and others on the roster to bounce back in the second half of the season.
Although moving Chisholm back into the infield during the season would be a major adjustment, having him be a utility player will help make him more valuable to a new team. He’s a fine hitter that should be better with legitimate threats around him but his main value comes from his speed and occasional big plays.
The Yankees may need more than just Chisholm to turn their fortunes around. Soto’s impending free agency adds even more pressure to make a playoff run and falling flat this season could mean losing him for nothing, a nightmare outcome. New York may have only a few more weeks to salvage not just its season but its future.
Meanwhile, Chisholm and relief pitcher Tanner Scott are the most likely trade candidates for the Marlins but there are bound to be more as Miami dismantles another playoff core.
Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site’s Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has also written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com.
