Phillies Should Avoid Rumored Offseason Target Like the Plague

The Philadelphia Phillies will certainly have some major holes to address this MLB offseason, and some ideas have already been pitched for the NL East squad.

One player that has already surfaced in speculation is New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm, who is slated to hit free agency this winter.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently projected Chisholm to sign with the Yankees on a six-year, $126 million contract, a deal that would pay him $21 million annually.

That seems like an awful lot for a player batting .216 with a .690 OPS this season.

Yes, when Chisholm is at his best, he is a decent asset. Like last year, for example, when he smashed 31 home runs to go along with 31 stolen bases, posting an .813 OPS.

But he is far too inconsistent, and he also has a very checkered injury history.

Chisholm is a lifetime .243/.313/.445 hitter. Okay? Sure. Really good? Not really. Couple that with the fact that his attitude is questionable, and I'm not so sure the Phillies would want to lock themselves into a long-term contract with the 28-year-old.

Philadelphia just acquired Luis Arraez — a far superior offensive threat — at the trade deadline. The Phillies could always just re-sign him in free agency ... or they could move Bryson Stott back to his natural position at second base and look for an Alec Bohm replacement at the hot corner.

Pursuing Chisholm would not be the best idea. Not only is he a downgrade from Arraez (and potentially at a higher price), but you would also be permanently moving Stott off of his best position. I understand that would also be the case if the Phillies kept Arraez, but Arraez is a three-time batting champion who could also DH.

Philadelphia has already paid Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo and Cristopher Sanchez. If anything, it is trying to avoid adding significant payroll, so signing Chisholm to such a lucrative pact would not exactly be conducive.

The Phillies need to save that money for better fits, such as an outfielder, a corner infielder or more pitching depth.

In the right circumstances, Chisholm could work. Philadelphia unfortunately does not present one of those situations.