The New York Yankees believe Jazz Chisholm could be one of the missing links that would lead them to a twenty eighth World Series championship. After the team started their 2024 campaign off in dominant fashion, they hit a skid in June and July. Looking lost the Bronx Bombers have seemingly turned things around thanks to some key Major League Baseball trade deadline acquisitions.
The New York Yankees and Miami Marlins made one of the earlier trades of the 2024 MLB trade deadline season, when the eternally rebuilding Miami Marlins sent star utilityman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to New York for prospects.
The New York Yankees Before Jazz Chisholm
The New York Yankees started the 2024 season off as one of Major League Baseball’s most impressive teams, having a stellar record of 40-19 heading into June.
New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto. Manditory credit: Brad Penner USA Today Sports
The Yankees May record was 21-7, an almost guaranteed win on a nightly basis. The pitching rotation was incredible, the bullpen was anchored by eventual All Star closer Clay Holmes, and the trio of shortstop Anthony Volpe, left fielder Juan Soto, and center fielder Aaron Judge at the top of the line up, decimated teams before fans were in their seats.
With such a brilliant start to the season, fans and media alike began comparing this team to the 1998 World Series winning team that set a then record for total regular season wins when they won 114 games, losing just 48,
Then the once booming symphony of players decrescendoed to a whimper, when America’s most iconic sports franchise went 25-26 in June and July, as that symphony became a duet of Judge and Soto trying to desperately will the team to victory on a nightly basis.
The problem was clear, and it was the same problem since the 2021 season, the team was just not deep enough.
Outfielder Alex Verdugo, who New York acquired in the offseason from The Boston Red Sox, has been about average or below average for much of the season. Duggie is batting .233, with 10 homers, an OPS+ of 84 (100 is average), 49 RBIs, and an Ops of .600.
Second baseman Gleyber Torres has been wildly inconsistent, going on stretches of high peaks and quite frankly disgustingly low valleys, evening out to 10 homers, a .235 batting average, 42 RBIs, an OPS of .668, and an OPS+ of 88.
Going into this season these two were expected to be crucial parts of the lineup. Now, they are afterthoughts, and when they are not, it is usually for bad reasons like strikeouts, errors, rally killing at bats, etc.
Longtime utilityman DJ LeMahieu has also struggled at the plate, while still maintaining the defensive prowess that granted him four gold gloves.
However, Yankees fandom is running out of patience with DJ’s atrocious offensive stats, as the former MVP candidate is hitting a career worst in batting average with .184, OPS+ with 48, OPS .520, slugging only .252, and has just 2 home runs. I do not think it is unthinkable to suggest this is his last season in the majors, as injuries have mounted up over the last few years, and when healthy he has been a minus in every meaningful offensive category.
The Yankees needed a savior, they have offensively the two best players in The American League, with the tandem of Judge and Soto, yet they still collapsed in June and July, and that was with ace Gerrit Cole coming back to lead the rotation, although he has not looked the same as seasons past.
Thus the trade deadline was circled by every Yankees fan and media member, as the sand of time in the 2024 season continued to trickle down.
MLB Trade Deadline and The Yankees Acquiring Jazz Chisholm
The Miami Marlins are a strange team, they have made the postseason 4 times in franchise history, in 1997, 2003, 2020, and 2023. 2020 was a shortened season due to Covid-19, 2023 was the second year of the six team expanded playoff format, and the then Florida Marlins won The World Series in 1997 and 2003.
They have immediately rebuilt their team after every playoff appearance, trading away stars like Ivan Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Edgar Renteria, Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrerra, Pablo Lopez, Starling Marte at different points since 1997, and most recently two time batting champion Luis Arraez as well as All Star closer Tanner Scott, both of whom were traded to The San Diego Padres, the former earlier in this season, the latter at the deadline this year.
If you can figure out the goal of Miami year to year, let me know because I sure can’t not many teams put in less of an effort to win a commissioners trophy than The Marlins.
Oh well, to quote the iconic song “Thrift Shop”, “one man’s trash is another man’s come up” and their loss is The Yankees gain, as New York acquired infielder/outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for prospects Augustin Ramiriez (catcher), infielder Jared Serna, and utilityman Abraham Ramirez.
In the past, Jazz Chisholm has been criticized for his maturity, his effort, and overall did not seem to have the most impressive reputation when he was in Miami, this was highlighted in a war of words and implications the young Bahamian star had with former Marlins teammate, shortstop Miguel Rojas.
As a Yankees fan, I must admit I did not like the initial Jazz Chisholm trade, since the 2021 MLB season, he has missed 205 games, out of a possible 486, the brief Miguel Rojas feud was strange to say the least, and quite frankly his plate discipline looked horrible in Miami.
These factors are usually a recipe for a New York sports bust. Health issues, inflated ego, and poor performance usually cripple players that come to “the city that never sleeps”, however I must admit I was completely wrong.
Since coming to “The Bronx Bombers”, Jazz Chisholm has hit .300, has an OPS of 1.064, an OPS+ of 190, while hitting 4 home runs, driving in 8 runs, and stealing 2 bases at the time of me writing this.
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
This while Jazz has acclimated himself to third base which he never played before. Rather infamously, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres refused to move to third to make room for the newly acquired player, much to fans’ dismay.
Jazz has not looked overwhelmed in the field, he has yet to make an error, being an outfielder by trade he has showcased his arm on a few occasions wowing fans and commentators alike.
It is important to point out the 26 year old Nassau native has played less than 10 games in the ever iconic navy blue pinstripes, and like many young players he has shown in the past he can be streaky.
A part of Jazz’s significance to The Yankees that is easy to get overlooked has been the fact that he does not hit free agency until the year 2027, when he is 29.
The Yankees could have Chisholm for a while and with the aforementioned Torres hitting free agency this year he could very well return to his home position at second base.
The Yankees Since The 2024 Trade Deadline/ Other Moves
The Yankees are 8-2 over their last 10, are tied for first in The American East with The Baltimore Orioles, and are seemingly turning over a new leaf, after their disastrous June and July skid.
The Yankees made some other moves at the trade deadline aside from getting Jazz Chisholm, most notably veteran pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. son of former Yankees pitcher Mark Sr., and nephew of former two time World Series winner and former Yankee starting pitcher Al Leiter.
Mark has been below average to begin his career, now in his age 33 season his career could be ending very soon. He played for The Phillies, Blue Jays, and Cubs throughout his career the lattermost who gave the heir to baseball royalty to The Yankees, in exchange for two prospects, pitcher Jack Neely and infielder Benjamin Cowles.
The lure of Leiter is more than the last name, his splitter is wicked good, with batters hitting a meek .076 on it and getting swings and misses 61% of the time he throws it.
In Leiter Jr.’s 4 innings of work for The Yankees, he has an ERA of 2.25, 5 strikeouts, and 11 runners allowed. Control seems to be the 33 year old veteran’s biggest obstacle, but I trust pitching coach Matt Blake to remedy those issues.
Another reliever who The Yankees acquired at the deadline was 28 year old Enyel De Los Santos, for minor league outfielder Brandon Lockridge.
Like Leiter Jr., Enyel is a journeyman, having played for 4 teams since 2018 prior to joining New York. His career ERA is 4.20 which is high, and his career ERA+ of 99 is one point shy of exactly average.
One thing that stood out to me is how many games and innings he pitched for The Cleveland Guardians. In 2021 he pitched in 50 games (53.1 innings) and in 2022 he pitched in 70 (65.2 innings).
With injuries always rearing their ugly head, having someone that dependable from a durability standpoint is huge as games become increasingly significant.
In his 2.1 innings of work for New York, Enyel has allowed just one base runner.
Both relievers provide much needed bullpen depth but with the outgoing lefty, Caleb Furguson, the two pitchers New York acquired being righty is certainly an odd choice.
Both Leiter Jr. and De Los Santos have profiles that could suggest they can become strikeout artists, which is something the “pitch to contact” heavy Yankees bullpen needs.
Overall I like these moves and trust general manager Brian Cashman’s judgment on relievers as many bargain bin bullpen staples have turned out to have quality tenures in New York under his reign dating back to his first season in the position in 1998, current closer Clay Holmes being one of the crown Jewels.
The Yankees next series is against The Texas Rangers after they conclude their series against The Angels today.
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