If Yankees don’t re-sign Jazz Chisholm Jr, this would likely be why originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
I'm of the belief that if the New York Yankees can bring back Jazz Chisholm Jr. at a reasonable price, they should consider doing it.
At the same time, I can understand why Yankees fans have been a bit cautious, as there have been points over the past 12 months when Chisholm doesn't look like a great player. Ultimately, it will come down to what the Yankees decide is best for the organization's future. If they want to spend money, keeping Chisholm around should be a priority.
If they believe they can replace him with a cheaper, younger option like Anthony Volpe, or a more expensive option like Brandon Lowe, depending on what he gets in free agency, I could live with that.
Given some of the concerns Chisholm has shown over the past couple of years, there are at least some worries about who he is as a player.
The Yankees beat writer for The Athletic believes signing him should raise concerns because of his bat-to-ball skills. While Chisholm has been criticized for some other parts of his game, that could be the most jarring.
“There should be concerns about signing Chisholm to a long-term deal because he has some of the worst bat-to-ball skills in MLB, consistently ranking poorly in in-zone contact rates and swing-and-miss metrics. Those skills tend to decline as players age,” The Athletic's Chris Kirschner wrote.
I think it's important to recognize that many guys have poor bat-to-ball skills on pitches in the zone, but because he ranks below average in Major League Baseball, his are more of a concern than others.
At the same time, few second basemen can hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bags in a given season, something Chisholm can do.
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