The Yankees acquired second baseman/outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins in exchange for three prospects.
One of the prospects heading to Miami, according to De Nicola, is catcher Agustin Ramirez, who is ranked No. 20 by the Yankees as a prospect. But Ramirez has had a big minor-league season that has propelled him into New York’s top five in MLB Pipeline’s midseason Top 30. Infielders Jarred Serna and Abrahan Ramirez are also heading to the Marlins in the deal. Serna is ranked No. 19 by the Yankees as a prospect.
Chisholm, who was selected as the National League’s starting second baseman for the 2022 All-Star Game, has spent the majority of the past two seasons in center field. He moved to center field to make room for Miami’s acquisition of All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez. Arraez was traded to the Padres in May, but Chisholm only recently moved back to second base a few times a week to cut down on the amount of running he was doing in the outfield. Some of the players in the deal are going to the Marlins.
Before the Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway Park on Saturday night, manager Aaron Boone made no official statement, saying, “Nothing’s been decided yet, so I can’t say too much.”
But Boone thinks Chisholm as a player is this: “Very talented, athletic, fast, power. … From afar, you can tell he’s got versatility, and athleticism, power, speed, those are all attractive qualities.”
Heading into 2024, the biggest questions surrounding Chisholm were whether he could stay healthy and hit against lefties. He’s proven himself on both fronts. The left-hander has already played in 101 games, more than he played in all of ’23, and he’s batting better against lefties this season (.254 vs. .246) and on-base percentage (.324 vs. .323).
Although Chisholm’s home run rate is down, he has recorded double digits in home runs (13) and stolen bases (22) for four straight years. Despite hitting fewer balls, Chisholm is one of the most improved players in baseball in terms of strikeout rate, going from 35.7% to 28.6%. He also has excellent baserunning and scoring ability, according to Baseball Savant.
Chisholm, 26, is no stranger to deadline trades, having been involved in a rare prospect-for-prospect deal that acquired right-hand pitcher Zac Gallen from Arizona to Miami in 2019. Chisholm, who will make $2.63 million in 2024, has two more years of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent.
“It’s an anxious time for our players, obviously,” Boone said of Tuesday’s trade deadline. “I think some of our guys love it and thrive. For other guys, it’s an anxious time. It’s different every year for different players.”
Ramirez, who turns 23 in September, is batting .269/.358/.505 with 20 home runs and 18 stolen bases this season, most of it at Double-A Somerset. After a slow start following a promotion to Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, he’s picked up the pace, batting .324 with a hit in his last eight games. But overall, his reputation is soaring within the Yankees’ system and on a national level.
