Yanks 'open-minded' toward potential Chisholm trade

This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. believes a full season of health is all that separates him from a spot in the celebrated 40-40 club. The Yankees are not the only ones who forecast bright things ahead for the dynamic infielder.

Months after Chisholm became the third Yankee to record a 30-homer, 30-steal season, the 28-year-old has drawn trade interest from rival clubs, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

At this stage, there is no indication that the Yankees are shopping Chisholm. Rather, general manager Brian Cashman said the club is simply “open-minded” toward proposals as it looks for ways to bolster its pitching staff.

“He’s somebody who I think is currently part of the solution, someone who has made us better by getting him two [Trade] Deadlines ago and giving us athleticism,” Cashman said of Chisholm. “He’s above average. He’s an All-Star second baseman; great defense, steals bags, power, all that stuff. He’s been a good get.”

It’s easy to understand why opposing clubs would check in on Chisholm, coming off a season in which he registered career highs in home runs (31), runs scored (75), RBIs (80) and walks (58), earning selection to his second All-Star team and first in the American League.

Overall, Chisholm posted a .242/.332/.481 slash line in his first full season as a Yankee, stealing 31 bases to rank tied for sixth in the AL. He joined Bobby Bonds (1975) and Alfonso Soriano (2002, ’03) as the third player (fourth time) to register a 30-30 season in pinstripes.

Chisholm, who earned $5.85 million last season, is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility and could reach free agency after the 2026 season. Chisholm said in September that he would welcome negotiations on an extension, but no substantial progress appears to have been made.

Still, Chisholm said the July 2024 trade from the Marlins to the Yankees has been a net positive for him.

“I feel like it’s boosted my career, 100%, in different ways,” Chisholm said in September. “The winning mentality, the winning atmosphere, the way everybody in the front office to the training staff wants to win. This is how I felt like I grew up playing baseball, and what I needed to be around to be even more successful.”

During the Winter Meetings, Cashman said that the Yankees have long preferred to ride out expiring deals -- that’s what they did with Aaron Judge (and, less successfully, Juan Soto). Extensions for players like outfielder Aaron Hicks and right-hander Luis Severino have been the exception, not the rule.

“Our history is, we’ve let these things play out, for better or for worse,” Cashman said.

Cashman also said he believes the Yankees are “without a doubt” too left-handed, something they addressed last week by agreeing with the versatile Amed Rosario on a one-year, $2.5 million deal, per a source.

Rosario could grab some of Chisholm’s playing time against tough lefties; remember, the Yanks benched Chisholm in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against Garrett Crochet and the Red Sox.

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner has spoken optimistically about fielding a homegrown double-play combination down the line; that was once projected to be Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, which didn’t pan out.

By 2027, it could be Volpe and George Lombard Jr.; Cashman said Lombard could handle shortstop defensively in the Majors right now, but his bat needs time to develop.

Ultimately, the Yankees must decide whether they view Chisholm as their second baseman of the future, and act accordingly.

“Again, we’ll be open-minded,” Cashman said. “But my default is, these are all individually good players, because we wanted them and they’ve been productive with us. Therefore, it’s not easy to part with them. But the job is to be open-minded to anything and everything.”