The New York Yankees could make an All-Star trade in this situation.
Heading into the offseason, many wondered if the New York Yankees would break protocol and sign second baseman Jazz Chisholm to a contract extension, but it doesn't appear that the Yankees are all that interested in doing so.
Considering that New York hardly ever hands out new deals to players under contract, the fact that the Yankees have seemingly declined to lock up Chisholm is hardly surprising.
In fact, there is even speculation that New York could trade the All-Star slugger, who has just one year of club control remaining going into 2026.
Of course, the Yanks wouldn't just jettison Chisholm for the heck of it. There would have to be a reason behind it, and Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com has revealed a scenario in which the Yankees could potentially move Chisholm: if they sign Bo Bichette.
"Adding Bichette to the mix would raise more questions about Chisholm’s future with the organization and put pressure on the club to trade the pending free agent before Spring Training, aiming to avoid the type of camp distractions the Red Sox experienced with Rafael Devers after signing Alex Bregman last February," Harrigan wrote.
The question is whether or not this would actually make New York a better team.
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm. Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.My answer? No.
While Bichette is definitely a more consistent hitter than Chisholm, having logged a .311/.357/.483 slash line with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025, he is so terrible defensively that it isn't enough to justify the difference in offensive production.
Bichette is one of the worst defensive players in baseball, and while he is expected to move off of shortstop once he signs in free agency, we shouldn't expect him to be significantly better at second base.
Chisholm smashed 31 home runs to go along with 31 stolen bases in 2025, registering an .813 OPS, so it's not like he is a slouch offensively. Plus, his left-handed bat works very well within the confines of Yankee Stadium.
Bichette is the better contact hitter, but he has less power, and he also does not possess the same speed as Chisholm on the basepaths.
So is the tradeoff really worth it, especially with Bichette slated to land $30 million or more in average annual value? Doesn't seem like it.
The Yankees would be better off keeping Chisholm where he is and finding another solution, such as re-signing Cody Bellinger or making an aggressive push for Kyle Tucker.