Yankees Fans Celebrate Jazz Chisholm Jr. Trade, Giving Needed Depth to Updated Lineup
July 27, 2024
The New York Yankees are on the cups of a major splash on Saturday, reportedly finalizing a deal to acquire star Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
It's a bit unclear at this point where Chisholm will play or bat. He was primarily playing center field in Miami and hitting leadoff, but Aaron Judge handles center for the Yankees and hitting Chisholm leadoff would lead to some odd lineup balance unless the Yankees moved Judge to second in the lineup and Soto third.
Both players have thrived in their respective slots thus far, however, so the Yankees might consider bumping Chisholm back a bit in the batting order. Given his speed on the base paths, however, that may be unwise.
Here's the very tentative projected lineup:
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., LF
- Juan Soto, RF
- Aaron Judge, CF
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH
- Austin Wells, C
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B (when healthy)
- Anthony Volpe, SS
- Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B
- Gleyber Torres, 2B
The Yankees could also choose to play him at second, trade the struggling Torres and keep Alex Verdugo as the primary option in left field. They have options.
Regardless, fans and pundits seemed mostly happy with the acquisition:
Chisholm, 26, is hitting .249 with 13 homers, 50 RBI, 46 runs, 22 stolen bases and a .730 OPS. He won't need to be a superstar in New York, just an upgrade over their current options at either second base and left field, and an upgrade at the leadoff spot.
It's a splashy move. The Yankees, who have been scuffling, desperately need it to pan out.
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