When the Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins final summer season, they needed to pair him with Anthony Volpe in the course of their infield.
“I acquired Jazz to be our second baseman and move Gleyber to third the rest of last year,” Brian Cashman mentioned over the winter. “[Aaron Boone] wanted to do it the other way. He moved Jazz to third after we got him and kept Gleyber at second because Gleyber didn’t want to move to third and was unwilling.”
Now Torres is with the Tigers, the place he’ll man his longtime place. The Yankees’ present plan is to place Chisholm at second, the spot he performed most on the onset of his profession.
A minor league shortstop, Chisholm is anticipated to workforce up with a Gold Glove-winning one in Volpe. With the 2 speedsters able to masking plenty of floor, the Yankees have excessive hopes for his or her center infield protection.
“I think he’s got a chance to be really dynamic in the middle with Anthony,” Boone mentioned of Chisholm.
Volpe mentioned that working together with his new double play companion has been “amazing” so far. The 2 just lately placed on a present whereas doing defensive drills on a backfield at George M. Steinbrenner Discipline. Chisholm’s session even reminded Volpe of a Yankees second baseman he grew up watching.
“He wants to make the Robinson Canó play, and he can,” Volpe mentioned. “It looks really good, so it’s really exciting to see what he’s capable of.”
Whereas the Yankees publicly defended Torres’ protection final season, he led all second basemen with 18 errors. He was additionally second-worst in Defensive Runs Saved (-11) and third-worst in Outs Above Common (-7), Vary (-5) and Fielding Run Worth (-5) at his place.
Torres particularly struggled shifting towards first base and again. Chisholm, in the meantime, graded nicely shifting towards first as a 3rd baseman.
Metrics have authorised Chisholm’s protection at second base (7 DRS, 8 OAA, 6 Vary, 6 FRV) through the years. Nonetheless, he has not been a full-time second baseman since 2022, as Miami additionally experimented with him in heart discipline.
With that in thoughts, Volpe is aware of the 2 should be in “constant communication” as Chisholm reacclimates.
“He’s super excited and so athletic and has so much range,” Volpe mentioned whereas additionally praising Chisholm’s arm. “The more we can play with each other throughout the spring, the better. Just ironing out positioning, talking and really not trying to overstep each other. Those are all really good problems, but stuff we’re gonna have to work on.”
It wasn’t unusual for Chisholm to step into Volpe’s territory whereas enjoying third final yr when the 2 had been studying to play with each other on the fly. Working collectively this spring ought to assist reduce such cases.
Boone mentioned the Yankees thought of leaving Chisholm at third — the place metrics had been extra favorable than the attention check — although that hinged on how their offseason unfolded. That chance nonetheless exists ought to the Yankees make extra strikes this spring, however the membership is at present DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas for third base.
Boone doesn’t “want to get into bouncing [Chisholm] back and forth,” although that’s to not say he isn’t succesful ought to he want to modify again.
“If something declares itself in a certain way, or depending how the roster shakes out, I do want to keep it open that I could move [Chisholm] over [to third],” the supervisor mentioned. “I feel like he’s got a chance to be elite at either position.”
