With Hot Stove season approaching, we're taking a closer look at some of the most prominent players eligible for free agency.
Name: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Position: Second baseman
Team: New York Yankees
Age (as of Opening Day 2027): 29
2026 stats: 137 games, .231/.312/.399 (.711 OPS), 19 HR, 55 RBI, 69 R, 97 OPS+, 3.5 fWAR
Chisholm entered the 2026 season with great expectations, taking aim at a 50-home run, 50-stolen base season after posting the first 30-30 campaign of his career in 2025.
“I just can’t help but get that gut feeling,” Chisholm said at the start of Spring Training. “It’s going to be an amazing year.”
Chisholm didn’t approach his lofty goals, hitting 19 home runs with 55 RBIs and a career-high 41 stolen bases, ranking third in the American League in that last category. Defensive metrics were mixed on Chisholm; he posted 15 outs above average, ranking in the 98th percentile of MLB in the defensive metric, though he was a -6 in defensive runs saved.
Unfortunately, his untimely throwing error against the Rays in Game 2 of the AL Division Series may be the lasting image for Yankees fans when they look back on his tenure in the Bronx.
The two-time All-Star struggled against left-handed pitching, posting a .218/.269/.381 slash line against southpaws, a steep drop from his stats against righties (.238/.331/.407).
This year’s free-agent market offers some options at second base, with Chisholm, Brandon Lowe and Luis Arraez heading up a class that also includes Mauricio Dubón and Gleyber Torres. Chisholm is the most dynamic offensive player of that group, but the number of available players means clubs seeking help at second base will have choices.
One factor working to Chisholm’s advantage: his age. He is three years younger than Lowe, Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena, three of the top hitters available this offseason. Chisholm is also the lone player in that group to post an fWAR of 3.0 or higher in each of the past three seasons.
Let’s take a look at how Chisholm’s offseason might play out:
POTENTIAL SUITORS
YANKEES
Chisholm has been productive during his time in New York, but it feels like the Yankees are ready to move on with one of their other options at second base. Luis Garcia Jr. has played the majority of his games at second base during his career, so he could move back there in 2027, or the Yanks could put Anthony Volpe at second base after he proved the ability to play there this season. The Yankees have options, though bringing back Chisholm remains one of them.
TIGERS
Detroit has an opening at second base with Torres headed for free agency for a second straight season, opening a potential spot for Chisholm. The Tigers like Hao-Yu Lee, who offers versatility and could serve as a super utility player. The lineup could use a left-handed bat and an injection of speed, making Chisholm a potential fit.
BLUE JAYS
Toronto could easily plug Ernie Clement into its second-base spot, but Clement stumbled down the stretch this season, posting a .442 combined OPS in August and September. General manager Ross Atkins has said publicly that Clement will have to earn his spot next spring, but could the Blue Jays look to add a new second baseman via free agency and utilize Clement as a super utility man? Given that Toronto ranked last in the Majors in runs scored (648), the lineup certainly could use a jolt somewhere.
ANGELS
Los Angeles ranked 29th in the Majors in runs scored (655) and last in OPS (.679), making the offense an obvious priority this offseason. Second base was one of the biggest problem areas for the Angels, whose .620 OPS at the position ranked last in the AL and 28th overall in the Majors. With Stan Kroenke taking over, signing a two-time All-Star like Chisholm could be a big splash for new ownership to make.
PADRES
San Diego could use some left-handed power, slugging only .384 from that side of the plate in 2026, which ranked 23rd in the Majors. Second base is one of the logical spots for the Padres to upgrade, as they could move Jake Cronenworth to first base to open the spot for somebody such as Chisholm. As for the swag that stood out like a sore thumb at times with the Yankees, Chisholm would fit in perfectly with the Padres’ roster.
REDS
Baseball-wise, there might not be a better fit for Chisholm than the Reds, who ranked 29th in the Majors with a .608 OPS at second base and 27th overall with a .693 OPS against right-handed pitching. The biggest question is whether Cincinnati will be willing to give Chisholm a multi-year deal, though it’s conceivable that he could seek a one-year “prove it” deal with an eye toward testing free agency again a year from now.
BUYER BEWARE
If there is one negative aspect to Chisholm’s offensive game, it’s his tendency to swing and miss. Chisholm ranked in the 13th percentile of MLB in whiff percentage (30.9%) and the bottom 10 percent in strikeout percentage, striking out 157 times in 532 plate appearances (29.5%). In his 30-30 season of 2025, he also ranked in the bottom 10 percent in both numbers.
EXECUTIVE TAKE
“He's an interesting case, because if you look at Jazz from an age and WAR standpoint, he'd appear to be a pretty decent candidate to receive a qualifying offer entering his age-29 season. A 3.5 fWAR for a second baseman with some power would make the roughly $23 million [qualifying offer] pretty palatable. But I think if you dig in a little more and look at his WRC+ and overall trend, it might have been his worst offensive season since 2021. Layer in the Yankees getting pretty poor value from [Trent] Grisham this year, who they just QO'd, and it seems likelier that they won't end up doing so with Jazz.
“From a free-agent standpoint, he's been a 3-4 WAR guy for three years now, and he’s still fairly young, so a three- to four-year deal at roughly $20 million [average annual value] would seem pretty fair -- which again begs the question on if a qualifying offer isn't actually reasonable value for him. I think it's safe to say he won't get anything close to what he was reportedly looking for [eight to 10 years, $35 million AAV], according to that report from earlier this season.”
FOR COMP'S SAKE
Only two second basemen have signed nine-figure free-agent deals: Robinson Cano (10 years, $240 million with the Mariners in December 2013) and Marcus Semien (seven-year, $175 million with the Rangers in December 2021). DJ LeMahieu’s six-year, $90 million deal with the Yankees before the 2021 season is next on the list, though LeMahieu had a career bWAR of 25 at the time, while Chisholm’s is 14.2. Chisholm’s three-year output should put him in line for a multi-year deal, though he could also look for a one-year deal to boost his free-agent value even further and test the market again next offseason.