BOSTON — The New York Yankees have long needed reinforcements.
The process of adding them started in earnest on Saturday when they traded with the Miami Marlins in exchange for second baseman and center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. The deal was first reported by Craig Mish of SportsGrid.
The Yankees are sending Triple-A catcher Agustin Ramirez to Miami. The team is also sending two more prospects to Miami, a team source confirmed.
Ramirez, 22, is considered to have serious power but a questionable defensive reputation. Ramirez hit .290 with 16 homers in 58 games at Double-A Somerset before hitting .224 with four homers in 29 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He also spent some time at first base and DH.
Chisholm Jr., 26, was hitting .249 with 13 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .730 OPS through 386 at-bats.
It’s unclear how the Yankees will use Chisholm Jr. Aaron Judge will likely remain the team’s starting center fielder when Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) returns from the injured list and to the DH role on Monday. The team could platoon Chisholm Jr. with current starting second baseman Gleyber Torres, who hits righty. Chisholm Jr. hits lefty.
The Yankees likely would use Chisholm Jr. longer-term at second base. Torres will be a free agent at the end of the season. Chisholm won’t hit free agency until after the 2026 campaign.
The Yankees could also look to deal Torres, who is in the midst of a terrible overall season but has been on an upswing lately. Overall, he’s hit just .237 with 10 homers, 37 RBIs and a .681 OPS — good for a 92 OPS+. But Torres — a two-time All-Star — has hit .329 with a .899 OPS over his last 19 games.
The Yankees rank 27th in wRC+ out of the leadoff position this season. Since moving Anthony Volpe out of the top spot in their order, the Yankees have been searching for a permanent solution but no one has emerged among Ben Rice, Alex Verdugo and Gleyber Torres. Chisholm Jr. has graded out slightly above average at the plate this season, but he should be better hitting in front of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.
Chisholm Jr.’s .320 on-base percentage ranks fourth on the Yankees. He also brings much-needed power on a team that hasn’t slugged since Giancarlo Stanton injured his hamstring. According to Statcast, Chisholm would have 19 home runs this season if he played all of his games at Yankee Stadium. He also adds a speed element that the Yankees lack; Chisholm Jr. immediately becomes the fastest player on the team with his 87th percentile sprint speed.
Chisholm Jr. has never played third base in the majors or minors. But he came up as a shortstop and is considered a good fielder at second base. With DJ LeMahieu’s struggles well-documented, it remains to be seen whether Chisholm Jr. could take on the challenge of learning third base on the fly.
(Top photo of Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Elsa/Getty Images)
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