The Blue Jays need help at second base, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the kind of fix that could create as many problems as it solves.
On paper, the fit makes sense. Toronto is looking to upgrade its middle infield, and Chisholm remains one of the sport’s most gifted second basemen as he moves through his prime years.
But the talent has never really been the question. The issue is whether the production and the day-to-day reliability will hold up.
That uncertainty got louder in 2026. Chisholm hit .231/.312/.399 with 157 strikeouts in just 531 plate appearances.
He did swipe 41 bases, but he still came up short of the much-talked-about 50-50 season he had been chasing. Instead of building on the strong numbers he posted in 2025, he spent much of the year making headlines for the wrong reasons.
Some of that comes with the territory in New York, where the spotlight is harsher and the criticism comes fast. Even so, Chisholm didn’t do much to help himself. The lollipop controversy mid-game and the costly defensive mistakes in the playoffs only added to the noise.
That noise got even louder when the Yankees were swept out of the ALDS by the Tampa Bay Rays, and Chisholm was booed by the home crowd. He has said he wants to stay in New York, but it’s hard to see that marriage working out cleanly after everything that’s happened.
The bigger issue for Toronto is the price tag. At 28, the two-time All-Star is going to be looking for a major payday in free agency.
There had already been rumours of him wanting a 10-year deal worth more than $30 million annually before this season went sideways. That’s not a number the Blue Jays should be chasing.
There’s also the long-term risk. Chisholm’s game carries volatility because of the swing-and-miss in his bat, and his speed - a major part of his value - is only going to decline as he gets older. A long contract could turn sour quickly.
If he’s willing to take a shorter deal to rebuild his value, that’s a different conversation. A one-year pact could make sense if he bounces back, the way Marcus Semien did in 2021, and then Toronto could let someone else handle the big contract later.
But as a headline solution for this winter, Chisholm doesn’t belong at the top of the Blue Jays’ list. They need upgrades, yes. They just need a safer one.
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Blue Jays Suddenly Have A Risky Second Base Decision To Make
Ross Atkins has already hinted that the Blue Jays may not view second base as a settled spot for the long term, saying Ernie Clement would need to earn playing time in 2027. That alone suggests Toronto could be looking ahead to a different kind of everyday answer at the position, one with a more established offensive ceiling than the club has gotten there recently.
One name that has surfaced in that conversation is Jazz Chisholm Jr., a player whose power-speed mix would certainly fit the profile of an upgrade if Toronto decided to shop in the higher end of the market. The appeal is obvious, but so are the questions, because Chisholm is a pending free agent with a track record that comes with real upside and real risk, and there is no sign yet that the Blue Jays are actually pushing hard in that direction. [Read more 🡒]