Looking to reinvigorate their struggling team, the New York Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins on Saturday. In exchange, the Yankees sent three minor leaguers—catcher Agustín Ramírez, infielder Jared Serna, and infielder Abrahan Ramírez—to Miami.
The Yankees, who started the season with an impressive 50-22 record, have since struggled, going 10-23. Issues with starting pitching, a shaky bullpen, and an offense heavily reliant on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have plagued the team, especially following injuries to key players Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo. Additionally, third baseman DJ LeMahieu and left fielder Alex Verdugo have been in prolonged slumps.
Chisholm, an All-Star second baseman in 2022, has primarily played center field over the past two seasons. “Excited,” Judge said following the Yankees’ 11-8, 10-inning win over the Red Sox. “He’s a dynamic player… a weapon. You can put him in the outfield or anywhere on the infield. He’s got speed. He’s got power.”
This season, the 26-year-old Chisholm is batting .249 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs. Over his five-year career, he holds a .246 average with 66 homers and 205 RBIs. Chisholm also boasts 22 stolen bases this year, matching last year’s total and just one shy of his career high.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Chisholm’s versatility: “Very talented, athletic, speed, power… seems like versatility… can play a lot of different places.”
Chisholm has a $2,625,000 salary after losing an arbitration case with the Marlins. He will be eligible for arbitration again after the 2024 and 2025 seasons and can become a free agent following the 2026 World Series.
Marlins manager Skip Schumaker acknowledged the difficulty of parting with Chisholm: “It’s always tough to lose a dynamic player like Jazz… He was willing to move off positions… He got better when you asked him to get better.”
LeMahieu, who missed the start of the season due to a foot injury, has struggled with a .178 average, one homer, and 12 RBIs in 135 at-bats. His performance issues have persisted since his injuries in 2022.
Verdugo has also been in a slump, batting .160 with one homer and seven RBIs since June 15, dropping his season average to .231.
Rookie first baseman Ben Rice has also struggled, going 4 for 50 after hitting three homers in a July 7 victory over the Red Sox.
In the trade, the Marlins acquired:
- Agustín Ramírez, 22, who hit .269 with 20 homers and 69 RBIs at Double-A and Triple-A.
- Jared Serna, 22, who batted .253 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs with High A Hudson Valley.
- Abrahan Ramírez, 19, who hit .348 with two homers and 24 RBIs for the Florida Complex League Yankees.
Schumaker commented on Chisholm joining the Yankees, “I don’t know where he’s going to hit, but he’s going to hit around Soto and Judge, which is pretty incredible… It makes them better and I’m happy for him.”
The Yankees hope that adding Chisholm will provide the spark needed to revive their season and enhance their playoff prospects.
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