After the Orioles made two trades on Friday afternoon, the old-money machine has sputtered to life with 72 hours till the commerce deadline. The New York Yankees have acquired middle fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins in change for 3 prospects: Triple-A catcher Agustin Ramirez is the headline title, however the Marlins additionally get A-ball infielder Jared Serna, together with Abrahan Ramirez from the Yankees’ Advanced League group.
Having a participant named Jazz on the Yankees is like Christmas morning for the parents who write headlines for the New York Publish. If I may have any job in mass media, it’d be writing again web page headlines for… most likely not actually the Publish, however a tabloid with a barely extra erudite tone.
I deliver up the tabloids as a result of any dialog about Chisholm appears to finish up being a dialog concerning the dialog about Chisholm, so let’s get that out of the best way first.
A mooted Chisholm-to-the-Yankees commerce has been bouncing across the rumor mill for some time now, and mentioned rumors have kicked up no small quantity of consternation. Chisholm isn’t everybody’s cup of tea; this spring, the then-Marlins outfielder talked overtly about how his first couple seasons within the majors have been became a poisonous nightmare by veteran teammates who disliked him. That’s solely Chisholm’s aspect of the story, in fact, however his aspect of the story reads as that of a younger participant being bullied for the best way he attire.
With the Yankees reportedly involved about Chisholm’s match within the clubhouse, New York Day by day Information beat author Gary Phillips talked to individuals inside the Yankees group who’d labored with Chisholm in Miami, together with hitting coach James Rowson. For what it’s value, none of Phillips’ interlocutors had something dangerous to say about Chisholm.
There are examples of obscure Unhealthy Make-up chatter being a precursor to a participant truly being a nasty teammate or a nasty individual. However different occasions — extra continuously, I’d argue — it seems to be backbiting about an outspoken younger participant (particularly a younger Black or Caribbean participant, like Chisholm) who’s seen as not realizing his place.
Absent particular examples of Chisholm doing something worse than sporting an excessive amount of jewellery, I’m inclined to imagine he’ll slot in simply high-quality on the Yankees. There have been comparable considerations about Alex Verdugo and Marcus Stroman heading into this season, and regardless of these fears, the Yankees are 60-45 and so far as I’m conscious they’re not getting ready to a season-ruining clubhouse meltdown. It’s even doable that Chisholm will profit from being an enormous fish within the greatest pond within the nation, versus being the one Marlins participant 90% of sports activities followers have heard of.
It’ll most likely be high-quality. And if it does go dangerous, I’d prefer to take this chance to remind New York’s tabloid headline writers to not overlook the truth that “Chisholm” rhymes with “schism.” Don’t get fixated on making Jazz puns, otherwise you’ll depart meat on the bone.
With all that mentioned, I do truly agree with one stone critics like to fling at Chisholm: He’s a little bit overrated. What I imply by that’s he will get talked about like a star, when in reality he’s extra of an above-average starter at an up-the-middle place. He’s by no means hit 20 dwelling runs or stolen 30 bases in a season. He’s not an excellent share basestealer and he strikes out an excessive amount of. And regardless of making an All-Star group and ending up on the quilt of MLB: The Present, he’s by no means had a 3-WAR season. The perfect yr of Chisholm’s profession by a rustic mile was 2022, when he slugged .535 in a marketing campaign that was lower to 60 video games by again issues. And that participant hasn’t been seen at another level in Chisholm’s time within the majors.
So why do the Yankees need him?
Two causes. The primary is the record of beginning middle fielders they’ve used this season: Aaron Choose, who shouldn’t be taking part in middle subject, and Trent Grisham, who’s hitting .183. Chisholm may regress into an utter mediocrity and nonetheless assist the Yankees.
Second, Chisholm’s made encouraging steps ahead in a number of areas of weak spot: He’s at present rocking a career-high stroll charge and a career-low strikeout charge. A 24.9% strikeout charge isn’t good, however it’s tolerable, not like the 30.8% mark Chisholm posted final yr. His 22-for-30 stolen base charge isn’t something to write down dwelling about, however he’s operating at a better quantity this yr and his general baserunning metrics are among the many prime 10 in baseball. Chisholm’s energy is down — he’s at present toting round a career-low .407 SLG — however his wRC+ is 104.
Now, 104 isn’t star-level, even for a middle fielder. However the Yankees’ offense is at present being floated by two of the perfect hitters in baseball — you possibly can argue the 2 finest with out being laughed out of the room — who’re each having profession years. Aside from Choose and Juan Soto, although, the Yankees have one, rely ‘em one, wholesome place participant with no less than 100 plate appearances and a wRC+ of 100 or higher: Austin Wells. I assume they’ve two now, having simply acquired Chisholm. It’s a bizarre factor to say a couple of Yankees group that’s on tempo to win 93 video games, however they want all of the respectable place gamers they will get.
And since Chisholm has expertise at second base, he can plug a number of holes. Yankees third basemen are hitting .231/.292/.310 this yr, leaving the Bronx Bombers twenty seventh within the league in wRC+ on the scorching nook. Might a galaxy-brained Aaron Boone set up Chisholm at second and slide Gleyber Torres over to 3rd? What’s the worst that might occur?
So Chisholm is an improve at a place of weak spot. He makes the lineup youthful and sooner, and whereas he hasn’t proven a lot of it this yr, he’s flashed critical energy prior to now, which may be related for a left-handed hitter shifting to Yankee Stadium. Oh, and whereas the Yankees most likely care much less about this than most golf equipment, he’s making simply $2.65 million this yr and is below group management for 2 seasons past this one. Torres, it bears mentioning, is in his closing yr of group management. If and when he leaves as a free agent, Chisholm may fill the outlet at second base.
What does all that price?
The headline prospect shifting right down to Florida is Agustin Ramirez. The 22-year-old took ages to get out of rookie ball, however he made an enormous splash this spring by hitting 16 dwelling runs in simply 58 video games for Double-A Somerset. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A, the place he’s adjusting: .224/.328/.364 in 29 video games, with iffy protection. Eric Longenhagen says it’s unlikely he stays at catcher full-time — his receiving is enhancing, however his blocking and throwing are liabilities. (I used to be crushed to study that Ramirez’s arm was fringy; I hoped he had an 80-grade cannon that might enable me to reward the tabloid gods with a “Weapons of Agustin” pun.)
However that energy is particular, particularly for a man who may even faux it behind the plate. Eric sees him as a primary baseman and DH who owns catcher’s gear and might get behind the plate a pair occasions every week, within the mould of a Ryan Jeffers or a younger Mitch Garver. He strikes into the Prime 100 at no. 72 as a 50 FV prospect.
Serna, a 22-year-old 45+ FV prospect from Mexico, is a little bit man (5-foot-7) who swings actually arduous and makes an excellent quantity of contact for a hitter with that strategy. He’s hitting .253/.341/.444 in A-ball with a ten.2% stroll charge and a 15.3% strikeout charge. Serna was the no. 14 prospect within the Yankees system (Ramirez was no. 5), and whereas his arm isn’t as much as the requirements of an on a regular basis shortstop, he has the potential to be a plus defender at second. Eric says that if he continues to hit, and to develop defensively, Serna has a shot to land on the Prime 100 record this offseason and to succeed in the majors in 2025.
Having already acquired a Ramirez and a little bit man on this commerce, the Marlins spherical out their prospect return with somebody who suits each of these descriptions. Abrahan Ramirez is a 19-year-old in his first season of complicated ball within the U.S. — the Venezuela native had spent the earlier two seasons on the Yankees’ facility within the Dominican Republic. He’s break up time between second and third, and whereas his left-handed swing has produced solely two dwelling runs in 49 video games, he’s hit 14 doubles and three triples. Youngsters on the complicated being high-variance and much from the majors, you possibly can most likely neglect about Abrahan Ramirez till and except he hits at Double-A in a number of years.
So for all of the hemming and hawing, this can be a fairly easy commerce. The Yankees received an improve at a place of want, a participant who is sweet now with the potential to get higher. Oh, and he’s low-cost and team-controlled. Not fixing the middle subject drawback wasn’t actually an possibility, so the options have been both sending your entire farm for Luis Robert Jr. or attempting to work out a deal for somebody like Lane Thomas, who isn’t pretty much as good as Chisholm and wouldn’t truly repair the middle subject drawback anyway.
The Marlins both purchased excessive on Agustin Ramirez or are buying him proper as his profession trajectory is on an upswing. Serna is a pleasant secondary piece, and no matter they get from Abrahan Ramirez is a bonus. How they really feel about dealing their highest-profile place participant 5 years from now will rely completely on how properly they develop these three prospects. It’s an A+ commerce for the tabloid editors; for everybody else, it will get the job accomplished.