The New York Yankees are expected to extend a qualifying offer to free-agent closer David Bednar while passing on one for second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., according to the New York Post. The $23.15 million qualifying offer decisions, still unofficial, point to very different outlooks for two players who spent 2026 on the same roster.
Bednar’s expected qualifying offer signals the Yankees want to keep him in the fold even as he tests free agency. Chisholm, by contrast, appears headed for a clean break after a season that fell well short of his 2025 form.
The Main Development
According to the Post, the Yankees are expected to give Bednar the $23.15 million qualifying offer but are unlikely to do the same for Chisholm. The report is based on sources familiar with the team’s thinking and has not been confirmed by any official Yankees statement.
A qualifying offer gives a free agent the choice to accept a one-year deal at the set value or decline it and test the open market, with draft-pick compensation attached to the signing team if he leaves. Extending one to Bednar would put that decision in his hands this offseason.
What It Means For Chisholm’s Free Agency
Passing on a qualifying offer for Chisholm removes the draft-pick compensation that would otherwise follow him to a new team, a detail that could factor into how clubs approach negotiations. Chisholm told the Post he wants to return to the Yankees following their early playoff exit, but the report indicates Yankees higher-ups believe it’s time to move on after his rough 2026 season.
Chisholm is reportedly looking for a sizeable long-term contract. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report offered a pointed take on that ambition, writing that “if that market never comes together and he settles for something like a one-year, $25 million deal with a $22 million player option for a second season, that might be a bargain. Any sort of contract that goes into the 2030s, however, is a terrifying proposition.”
Context: Chisholm’s Decline From A 30-30 Season
Chisholm’s 2026 numbers stand in sharp contrast to his breakout 2025 campaign, when he put together a 30-30 season. He finished 2026 with 19 home runs and 41 stolen bases, but his strikeout rate climbed to 29.5%, the second-highest mark of his career, according to Yahoo Sports.
His underlying metrics tell a similar story. Chisholm’s barrel rate dropped significantly, and his run value against fastballs ranked in the bottom 5% among qualified hitters, per Yahoo Sports. Miller also pointed to defensive awareness issues and on-field antics, including sucking on a lollipop during an inning, as traits that aren’t attractive to teams evaluating him as a free agent.
Roster Impact: Who Could Replace Chisholm
If the Yankees move on from Chisholm, Sporting News reports the team could pursue Brandon Lowe as a second base alternative. Lowe, a two-time All-Star, hit 35 home runs for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026. Anthony Volpe is also mentioned as a potential internal option at second base, according to Sporting News.
On the pitching side, retaining Bednar through a qualifying offer would keep a proven closer in the organization’s plans as the Yankees shape their bullpen for 2027.
What’s Next
None of this is official yet. The report from the New York Post describes expectations based on sources, not a confirmed decision from the Yankees front office, and the team has not announced its qualifying offer calls. MLB‘s qualifying offer window typically follows the end of the World Series, so a formal announcement on both Bednar and Chisholm should come once that deadline arrives.
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