Yankees might have a concern about potential trade target
07/24/2024 10:31 AM
Jazz Chisholm has been linked heavily to the New York Yankees in recent weeks, especially given the fact that the Miami Marlins are very much out of the playoff race. While most teams sit on the fence of being in the Wild Card picture, it’s clear that they will be selling ahead of the July deadline, and Chisholm is universally expected to be dealt. With a 105 wRC+ and 13 home runs on the season, the lefty-swinging outfielder has returned to playing some second base to audition for teams who want to cast him in that infield role.
While he would help this lineup, the Yankees do seem to have a concern about his clubhouse presence, as reported by Jorge Castillo of ESPN. Does this deter them from adding him to their team? Who knows, but perhaps this persuades them to look elsewhere for an upgrade.
Clubhouse Concerns Could Keep Yankees From Acquiring Jazz Chisholm
From a power and speed standpoint, the appeal is obvious when it comes to landing a hitter like Jazz Chisholm, who would take advantage of the short porch in right field. Statcast’s Expected Home Run metric estimates that he would have clubbed 19 round-trippers had he played all of his games in the Bronx. It’s not a perfect science since the Yankees only play 50% of their games here, but LoanDepot Park is abnormally pitcher-friendly compared to most AL East fields.
The Yankees would be getting a hitter who improves their slow roster and gives them a jolt, but the clubhouse concerns and the overall inconsistency at the plate are two points of contention. Chisholm spoke publicly about his issues with former Miami Marlin Miguel Rojas, who didn’t seem to appreciate his antics on the baseball diamond, and while we’ll never know the in-depth truth of who was truly in the wrong, it may not have rubbed everyone the right way.
Furthermore, there have been reports about the Marlins and Jazz Chisholm having issues, so perhaps there’s a natural abrasiveness that exists in his presence. That’s all speculatory though, and the Yankees have both looked into and acquired some unsavory figures to improve their roster. Aroldis Chapman was acquired by the Yankees after the Los Angeles Dodgers canned their deal for him due to his domestic violence incident in the 2016 offseason, and they continued to roster Domingo German up until his outburst in 2023.
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When it comes to clubhouse issues, Alex Verdugo was not very well-liked in Boston especially as the 2023 season came to a close, with Alex Cora benching him multiple times. This didn’t stop the Yankees from acquiring him even though he had a 98 wRC+ and was a worse all-around player than Jazz Chisholm is right now. They also acquired Josh Donaldson after he was considered a malcontent in Minnesota, including calling out ace pitcher Gerrit Cole regarding foreign substances.
Either what the public knows about Jazz Chisholm doesn’t tell the full story, or the Yankees are suddenly changing their tune on off-field concerns, because they’ve shown a willingness to turn a blind eye to a player who helps them. Given that their OPS outside of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto is .672, Chisholm and his .736 OPS is a massive step up from what their current options are.
