Blue Jays free agent target: Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Marcus Semien’s 2021 season was incredible.

After a great 2021 season, Semien struggled in 2020, leading the second baseman to sign a one-year pillow contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. In turn, he had one of his best seasons, slashing .265/.334/.538 with a career-high 45 home runs, winning a Gold Glove to boot. The 2021 Blue Jays deserved so much better.

Half a decade later, the Blue Jays should be searching for a second baseman. Brandon Lowe is the best of the bunch, but if the Jays look to bring in a player to a similar situation as Semien, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a good candidate for a bounce-back season.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s profile

It’s not a perfect comparison by any means. Semien’s rough season came during the COVID-impacted 2020 season. Not only that, but aside from his great 2019 season when he finished with a 138 wRC+, the second baseman never had wRC+ above 100, considered the average.

At that point, Semien’s 2019 was an outlier to what was an average career. Chisholm Jr. career trajectory has been far kinder. His rookie campaign in 2021 saw him finish with a 94 wRC and 1.8 fWAR, but he responded with a 134 wRC+ and 2. fWAR in 2022 with the Miami Marlins. By the time he joined the New York Yankees in 2024, the second baseman posted 4+ fWAR seasons.

That included a strong 2025 season, where he slashed .242/.332/.481 with a career-best 31 home runs with 31 stolen bases in 39 attempts. Chisholm’s 125 wRC+ was the best of his career (excluding his 60 games played in 2022), while his 4.3 fWAR remains a career-best.

The second baseman took a step back in 2026. In what could be his final season with the Yankees, the 28-year-old slashed .231/.312/.399 with 19 home runs in 532 plate appearances, good for a 98 wRC+. Even with an average year with the bat, the Bahamian managed to post a 3.5 fWAR, stealing 41 bases in 50 attempts.

A big reason for his strong fWAR was his defence at the keystone. Chisholm Jr.’s -6 Defensive Runs Saved wasn’t great, but he finished the year with 13 Outs Above Average and 8 Fielding Run Value. The Blue Jays love capable defenders, and Chisholm Jr. provides that.

With a weak free agency class, Chisholm Jr. probably won’t get a pillow contract like Semien did half a decade ago. He’s an established hitter who didn’t have a great season with the bat, but still provide above-average value on the bases and defensively.

He won’t get Brandon Lowe-like money, but he’s a better candidate to bounce back than Gleyber Torres. He also provides far more value in his toolset compared to Luis Arráez. If the Blue Jays don’t target Lowe thanks to his price tag coming off a career-year in a contract season, Chisholm Jr. would be a great addition.

Another factor in play here is the qualifying offer. With the lockout looming, who knows what’ll happen. The good news is that according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Chisholm Jr. is also unlikely to get a qualifying offer, meaning the Blue Jays wouldn’t sacrifice a draft pick to sign the 28-year-old if the system remains the same.

Chisholm Jr. didn’t have the same type of season as Lowe, the best second base free agent who’ll hit the market. That said, he is the best bounce-back candidate if the Blue Jays look to spend their money elsewhere, like on an outfielder.