Jazz Chisholm Jr. Could Be Traded By the New York Yankees In 2026
Jazz Chisholm Jr. believes a full season of health is all that separates him from a spot in the celebrated 40-40 club. He might be hallucinating, but he has always had great confidence in himself.
The Yankees are not the only ones who forecast bright things for the dynamic infielder. Months after Chisholm Jr. became the third Yankee to record a 30-30 season, the 28-year-old has drawn trade interest from rival clubs. Could the Yankees trade him?
Sell High On Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Regardless of whether the Yankees would trade Chisholm Jr., one thing is for certain: he had a 2025 season. Just like with stocks, it is important to sell high with baseball talent. In this way, a team guards against a regression.
To be clear, at this stage, there is no indication that the Yankees are shopping Chisholm Jr. 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. “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.”
Will a Trade Materialize?
Nevertheless, teams are checking in on Chisholm Jr. It is easy to understand why opposing clubs would check in on him, coming off a season in which he registered career highs in home runs (31), runs scored (75), RBI (80), and walks (58). He also earned a selection to his second All-Star team and first in the American League.
Overall, Jazz posted a .242 batting average, a .332 slugging percentage, and a 481 on-base percentage. Last season was his first full season as a Yankee, stealing 31 bases to rank tied for sixth in the American League. He joined Bobby Bonds (1975) and Alfonso Soriano (2002, ’03) as the third player to register a 30 home run, 30 stolen base season for the Yankees.
He earned $5.85 million last season, is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility, and could reach free agency after the 2026 season. A work stoppage is likely in 2027. He said in September that he would welcome negotiations on an extension, but no substantial progress appears to have been made.
Are the Yankees Too left-handed?
Cashman also said he believes the Yankees are “without a doubt” too left-handed, although signing the versatile Amed Rosario to a one-year contract helps that a little. The fact that the Yankees have so many left-handed bats (and no right-handed hitting catchers) hamstrung Yankee Manager Aaron Boone at times last season. Dealing with the left-handed hitting, Chisholm may help solve the problem.
Conclusion
There are no players on the New York Yankees, not named Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, who are beyond being traded, so the Yankees certainly could trade Chisholm Jr. It will be interesting to see if they do, perhaps to get some right-handed hitting.
