Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Lands Shocking Free Agency Update

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm arrived at 2026 promising fireworks, telling anyone who would listen that he intended to chase 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in his final season under Yankees control. The numbers have not cooperated.

Through mid-August, he is hitting .214 with a .292 on-base percentage and .384 slugging mark, accompanied by 17 homers and 32 steals. The gap between expectation and performance has some observers wondering whether Chisholm will have to settle for a one-year prove-it deal.

Tim Britton of The Athletic does not share that view. He expects the market to remain robust enough for a multi-year commitment even after this slump.

“I would expect teams would be interested in multi-year deals for Chisholm, but probably in the four-year range (and maybe between $20 million and $25 million per year),” Britton wrote. “Chisholm is still on pace for a three-win season, which is not bad to consider while enduring the worst slump of your career. Trevor Story signed for six years and $140 million off that kind of season.”

Chisholm’s offensive production has been below average, reflected in an 88 OPS+ and 90 wRC+. His defense, however, has stayed serviceable, and clubs may decide that a pressure-filled contract year in the Bronx should be treated as an outlier rather than the new normal.

Britton framed the central question facing potential suitors.

“The question for Chisholm will be how teams balance the one-year sample versus the larger one,” he wrote. “If he finishes this year around 3.0 WAR, he’ll have 11.5 WAR over the last three years — more than Cody Bellinger had when he signed his $162 million deal with the Yankees last winter and close to the number Corey Seager had when he signed his $325 million contract with the Texas Rangers. I’ve generally found that teams heavily weight the season entering free agency. Bellinger was close to a five-win season; Seager was at 3.6 but had been hurt.”

The Yankees themselves have options. Anthony Volpe has been working at second base in Triple-A, giving the club a possible internal alternative.

Still, Britton argued they should not simply let Chisholm walk without leverage. “A team with the Yankees’ resources should absolutely extend him the qualifying offer,” he wrote.

That offer would likely land near $23.1 million, a sizable raise from Chisholm’s current $10.2 million salary and a figure that would either keep him in pinstripes for 2027 or yield draft-pick compensation if he declines.

Chisholm could choose the latter path and bet on a rebound. Britton noted there is recent precedent.

“If Chisholm wants to bet on himself to reel in a huge deal, well, there’s a blueprint,” he wrote. “The last second baseman whose numbers resembled Chisholm’s did take a one-year, prove-it deal. Marcus Semien proved it in Toronto, setting a new record for home runs by a second baseman, and he signed for seven years and $175 million one winter later with Texas.”

Whether Chisholm follows that route or signs a four-year pact this winter, his 2026 struggles have not erased the longer track record that still makes him an attractive free-agent target.