Jazz Chisholm Jr. arrived in New York with big numbers in mind - 50 home runs, 50 stolen bases, and a World Series ring. He came up short on all of it with the Yankees, and now his future is back on the open market.
Chisholm, who was on the bench for Game 3 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays, is a free agent. The Yankees can still extend a qualifying offer, which would be a one-year deal and send him back into free agency after the 2027 season. But if he’s after a richer long-term payday, another destination is already being floated.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer listed the San Diego Padres as a top five landing spot if Chisholm and the Yankees can’t work something out. Rymer pointed to a roster that still needs offense, especially from the left side.
"Starting pitching will need to be a priority, but another bat should also be a must. The Padres specifically need more left-handed thump after getting just a .385 SLG from that side of the plate," Rymer wrote. "They could also use more offensive production at second base, where Jake Cronenworth struggled in 2026."
That’s where Chisholm starts to make sense. His energy would fit right in with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, and Rymer sees a personality match as much as a baseball one.
"Also, does anyone else get the sense that San Diego would be a good spot for Chisholm's energy? He plays with a chip on his shoulder, and that's been the Padres' whole vibe as they have fought the Los Angeles Dodgers for control of the NL West throughout the 2020s," Rymer added.
Even in what counts as a down season by his standards, Chisholm still put up 19 home runs and a 97 OPS+. Cronenworth finished with seven homers and a 77 OPS+ in 109 games.
With that kind of gap, the Padres may need to start thinking seriously about a new face at second base.
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