The Yankees may be staring at a familiar offseason question at second base, and it starts with Jazz Chisholm Jr.
After New York was eliminated by the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night, the All-Star second baseman said he’d like to come back. That leaves the door open for the Yankees, but it also puts them in a spot where they may need to prepare for life without him if he decides to move on.
If that happens, one internal answer would be Anthony Volpe, though that won’t sit well with everyone. Volpe put together a strong postseason, and the season also included the challenge of being sent down to Triple-A earlier in the year, where he handled the assignment and did what the team asked.
Still, there’s also a more power-heavy alternative on the market: Brandon Lowe.
Lowe has quietly been one of the better second basemen in the sport over the last couple of seasons, and he’s coming off a year in which he launched 35 home runs. Bleacher Report recently floated him as a possible fit for New York, pointing to both his production and the way Yankee Stadium could suit his swing.
“Good luck finding a second baseman who can match both Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s power and speed, but Brandon Lowe would certainly handle the first with 66 home runs and an .806 OPS over the past two seasons. And Yankee Stadium's short porch in right would be conducive to his left-handed power,” Bleacher Report wrote.
There’s a case to be made that Lowe is the better overall player, even if he brings a different profile than Chisholm. Chisholm offers athleticism and positional versatility. Lowe brings the kind of pop that changes a lineup fast.
That power would play especially well with the short porch in right, which is exactly why Lowe makes sense as a winter target. The issue, as always, is cost. He’s not going to come cheap, and the Yankees will have to decide whether that price fits their plan.
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