Yankees Trade for Jazz Chisholm Jr. from Marlins

The New York Yankees have made a splash by agreeing to trade for Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins. This exciting move was confirmed on Saturday, as reported by MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola. Though both teams are yet to finalize the details, insiders are buzzing about the trade.

As part of the deal, the Yankees are sending three prospects to the Marlins, which includes catcher Abrahan Ramirez. Ramirez has had an impressive season in the Minor Leagues, even making a name for himself by likely breaking into New York’s top 5 prospects in the upcoming MLB Pipeline rankings.

Chisholm, who was the starting second baseman for the National League in the 2022 All-Star Game, has been mainly playing in center field for the Marlins. This shift happened after Miami acquired superstar Luis Arraez, forcing Chisholm to adjust his position. Recently, though, he has been appearing at second base a couple of times a week to ease his workload.

Heading into 2024, the major questions around Chisholm revolved around his health and ability to face left-handed pitchers. Thankfully, he’s answered them well this season. The 26-year-old has played more games than in 2023 and has shown impressive stats against lefties, hitting better than before.

While his home run numbers might be down, Chisholm still maintains double-digit homers and stolen bases, marking the fourth consecutive season. He’s shown remarkable improvement in his whiff rate, all while seeing fewer good pitches to hit. His baserunning skills are also top-notch, according to Baseball Savant.

Chisholm is no stranger to trades, having moved from Arizona to Miami in 2019 in exchange for right-hander Zac Gallen. Currently earning $2.63 million in 2024, he has two more years of arbitration eligibility before he can hit free agency.

On the other side of the trade, Ramirez, who is about to turn 23, has also been doing well, hitting .269/.358/.505 with 20 home runs this season. He’s been building his reputation particularly while playing for Double-A Somerset, and even made a decent transition to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre recently.

Ramirez’s future seems bright, though he has some areas to improve, particularly in defense. The Yankees have been working with him, making sure he is capable of playing other positions, including first base, indicating they have some uncertainty about his long-term viability as a catcher.

Additionally, the other prospects involved in the deal include players like Serna and a younger Ramirez, who are both generating interest with solid offensive stats in the Minor Leagues.