DALLAS — Jazz Chisholm Jr. discovered himself prepared and prepared to play a brand new place when the Yankees acquired him from the Marlins final season. Now there’s an opportunity he returns to an outdated one.
After studying the new nook on the fly final summer season, Chisholm may return to second base this coming season. Whereas Aaron Boone doesn’t assume third base is a gap due to the personable speedster, the Yankees may purchase somebody extra acquainted with the place this offseason. That will permit Chisholm to play second, the place he’s most skilled at.
“We were very surprised how he took to a very difficult position, and it certainly wasn’t perfect because it was new to him, but golly he at least made you realize that it’s possible that you might already have your third baseman,” Brian Cashman mentioned on the Winter Conferences. “I think middle infield is probably easier, because it’s something that he’s done. Third still is something he’ll finish off, if that’s where he stays, but I don’t know, it just depends on the directions, the opportunities.”
Longtime Astro Alex Bregman is the highest free agent third baseman. Different choices on a restricted open market embody Yoán Moncada and former Yankee Gio Urshela.
The Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado is an elite defender whose title has been related to the Yankees. On Tuesday, the 10-time Gold Glover’s agent, Joel Wolfe, mentioned Arenado is open to waiving his no-trade clause for a profitable staff and that geography just isn’t a consideration.
Arenado can be open to taking part in first base, one other place of want for the Yankees.
As Cashman talked about, Chisholm had some rising pains at third final season, however two defensive metrics rated him nicely. Chisholm’s eight Outs Above Common ranked fourth amongst certified third basemen — he completed one spot behind Arenado — and he additionally had a Fielding Run Worth of 5 on the place.
“I felt like he really did well there,” Boone mentioned. “He’s still learning the position in a lot of ways, but on balance, he did a really good job for us.”
One place the Yankees don’t plan on having Chisholm play is heart discipline. He did so with the Marlins, however Cashman mentioned Chisholm is healthier off taking part in the infield. Boone agreed with that.
“My preference is to keep him on the dirt,” the skipper mentioned.
A FAVORITE AT 2B?
Whereas the Yankees may transfer Chisholm again to second, Cashman referred to as infield prospect Caleb Durbin the “odds-on favorite” for the job with the way in which the Yankees’ roster is presently constructed.
Cashman additionally talked about Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza as candidates for Gleyber Torres’ outdated job — the veteran is a free agent — however Durbin is well liked by the Yankees’ entrance workplace and main league teaching employees.
“How much he’s in the mix right away depends on what we do this winter,” Boone mentioned. “I do like the player a lot. I know our organization likes him a lot. But then again, I haven’t seen him play in person a whole lot or been around him on a daily basis to really get a true sense. But if you’re asking just from my scouting lens, I think he’s got a chance to be a really good player, and I think he’s at the point in his development and minor league career where he’s knocking on the door of an opportunity. So we’ll see how it all shakes out.”
SOTO STOPPED YANKS FROM OFFERING SNELL
The Yankees missed out on extra than simply Juan Soto by pursuing the Mets’ new slugger, as his sweepstakes prevented the staff from making a proposal to Blake Snell.
The Yankees Zoomed with Snell the day he signed with the Dodgers. Scott Boras, who represents Snell and Soto, then requested Cashman if the Yankees have been going to make a proposal earlier than L.A. reached a five-year, $182 million settlement with the southpaw.
“I told him I can’t make an offer until I know what’s going on with Soto first because I couldn’t do both at that level,” Cashman mentioned. “I woke up the next morning and [Snell] was gone.”
Cashman additionally spoke extremely of Willy Adames, who agreed to a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Giants earlier than Soto settled on Queens.
NO EXTENSION TALKS FOR BOONE YET
Boone mentioned that he nonetheless has not had any extension talks with the Yankees after getting his membership possibility picked up for 2025 earlier this offseason. Hal Steinbrenner beforehand raised the potential for having that dialogue after Boone led the Yankees to a pennant and the World Sequence in 2024.
“There’s obviously been a lot to attend to this last month,” Boone mentioned. “We’ll see where that goes.”
EYES ON HILL
