The Marlins introduced their standing as deadline sellers greater than two months in the past with their shocking early commerce of Luis Arraez, and with the commerce deadline now simply 22 days away, their exercise on that entrance ought to decide again up. Whereas a lot of the main focus has been on nearer Tanner Scott, who’s a free agent at season’s finish, Craig Mish of SportsGrid and the Miami Herald stories that there’s a “rising perception” Jazz Chisholm Jr. may even be traded. Mish lists the Mariners as a “membership to look at” if Chisholm is moved and in addition suggests the Pirates and Royals might be part of the bidding.
Chisholm, 26, is having fun with a strong season on the plate, hitting .255/.326/.407 (105 wRC+) with ten homers and 17 steals (albeit in 15 tries). He’s struggled with strikeouts on the previous, and whereas his 24.9% fee continues to be worse than common, it’s a notable enchancment over the 29.2% clip he registered within the 4 prior seasons. He’s paired these improved contact abilities with a career-best 8.8% stroll fee.
There’s little doubting Chisholm’s uncooked instruments and star-caliber upside. He’s averaged 26 homers and 32 steals per 162 video games performed in his profession. Nevertheless, he’s by no means topped 124 video games in a season and has solely reached 400 plate appearances as soon as thus far in his main league profession. Accidents have often hobbled Chisholm and precipitated him to overlook vital time. Since establishing himself as a daily in 2021, Chisholm has missed time as a result of a shoulder harm, a again pressure (which required a 60-day IL stint), turf toe and an indirect pressure.
Chisholm is incomes an reasonably priced $2.625MM this season and is managed for 2 extra years following the present marketing campaign. He’s been the Marlins’ main heart fielder over the previous two seasons, although that transfer was borne out of necessity. Miami has been unable to develop a middle fielder and has come up empty in its long-running makes an attempt to accumulate a controllable possibility on the place. Chisholm, a pure shortstop who slid over to second base early in his profession, moved to heart subject final yr and has drawn blended critiques from most public defensive metrics. He was a plus defender in simply over 1300 innings at second base earlier than the transfer to the outfield.
All three of the potential groups listed in Mish’s report stand as clear matches in a theoretical Chisholm deal. Royals basic supervisor J.J. Picollo has been open about his want so as to add a bat able to taking part in each the infield and the outfield — a necessity Chisholm would fill properly. The Royals have pretty even platoon splits as a crew, however the bulk of the crew is right-handed — together with Kansas Metropolis’s two finest hitters, Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and second baseman Michael Massey (who’s been restricted to simply 142 plate appearances as a result of harm) are the one left-handed bats on the roster who’ve turned in common or higher manufacturing, by measure of wRC+.
The Pirates, in the meantime, have acquired sub-par offensive manufacturing from second base this season. Since being known as up, former first-round decide Nick Gonzales has delivered roughly league-average offense (.269/.307/.414, 99 wRC+), however he’s been extra productive in opposition to lefties than righties. Pittsburgh outfielders are additionally hitting simply .227/.299/.352 as a collective unit this season. Chisholm might present an offensive enhance in both position or probably cut up his time between the 2 positions based mostly on matchups.
Each the outfield and second base have been weaknesses for the AL West-leading Mariners as properly. The hope in Seattle was that the offseason acquisition of Jorge Polanco would have solidified second base, however the switch-hitter’s regular offensive output unexpectedly cratered this season; in 214 plate appearances, the previous Twins infielder has slashed simply .189/.280/.284 with a career-worst 33.6% strikeout fee. Their outfielders have mixed for a .230/.285/.365 batting line.
With two and a half seasons of membership management remaining, an reasonably priced wage and one other productive season highlighted by his typical mix of pace and energy, Chisholm ought to include a comparatively steep value of acquisition. Mish notes {that a} deal within the offseason is feasible as properly, if the Marlins don’t get a proposal to their liking within the subsequent three weeks, and means that even some present non-contenders might look right into a deal for Chisholm (each now and within the offseason) as they appear towards the 2025 marketing campaign and past.
