Yankees Acquire All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr in Blockbuster Deal: Reports

In their first big acquisition ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline on Tuesday, the New York Yankees are acquiring All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins, according to multiple reports Saturday.

Craig Mish of the Miami Herald was the first to report Saturday that the two sides "were in deep talks." Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the first to report the deal was agreed upon.

Chisholm, 26, is hitting .249 with 13 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 101 games this season for the rebuilding Marlins. He made the National League All-Star team as a second baseman in 2022 but has more recently transitioned to full-time duty in center field.

The Yankees won't need Chisholm in center field, where Aaron Judge is likely to claim the American League MVP award and Trent Grisham offers capable defense as a backup.

However, the Yankees could be moving Chisholm back to second base, where Gleyber Torres has been a disappointment at the plate all season long. Torres, 27, entered Saturday's game batting .237 with a .681 OPS.

According to multiple reports, 22-year-old catcher Agustin Ramirez is the headliner among three prospects going to the Marlins in the trade. Recently promoted to Triple-A, Ramirez is the Yankees' No. 20 prospect according to MLB.com.

Ramirez was hitting .224/.328/.365 in 29 games with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. Between Austin Wells, Ben Rice, and Jose Treviño, the Yankees have three young catchers under team control through at least next season.

For New York, the trade addresses the team's obvious roster shortcoming as it battles the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East. Other than Judge and left fielder Juan Soto, offense has been scarce for the Bronx Bombers. Besides the two All-Stars, no Yankees regular has an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) above .800.

Chisholm owns a career .246 batting average, a .309 on-base percentage, and a .440 slugging percentage in 403 career games, all with the Marlins. Though not a panacea, he's been the rare steady contributor for a Miami team that had already begun dismantling its roster after failing to follow up on its playoff-bound 2023 campaign.

The Marlins originally acquired Chisholm in a 2019 trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Zac Gallen.

Now, Chisholm heads back into the thick of a playoff race. The Yankees are two games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East and would be the top AL Wild Card team if the 2024 season ended today.