AL East Notes: Chisholm, Palacios, Kiner-Falefa, Bieber

Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is open to extension talks, but has still not been approached by the club in that department, he says Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Chisholm is entering his final year as club director before he is released.

It’s a similar situation to last year, when it seemed like Chisholm was more open to talks than the club. Spring training is a common time for clubs to approach players about extensions, so it’s notable that there’s still no momentum on that front.

The Yankees generally don’t do many extensions and may prefer to wait for center infield. A year from now, that prospect will be possible George Lombard Jr. has joined Anthony Volpe And Jose Caballero in the mix. If the Yanks can cover their center positions internally, they can focus next winter’s resources elsewhere. If not, they could return to Chisholm as a free agent.

Some more camp notes from the AL East…

• The Rays going to get Richie Palacios some third base reps this spring, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Palacios has primarily played second base and outfield corners in his career. His third base experience consists of ten innings in 2024. Adding some more versatility could help him fill a bench role, although he still has an option left. Junior Caminero will be Tampa’s go-to at third, but his defensive qualities haven’t been great, so it might make sense for him to serve as the designated hitter at times or be replaced by a better defender late in some games.
• The Red Sox going to have Isiah Kiner-Falefa to play first base in the spring, reports Sean McAdam of MassLive. Kiner-Falefa has a lot of experience at every position on the diamond except first base. The Sox have Willson Contreras as their regular first baseman, but the depth has been increased. Triston Casas tore his left patellar tendon last year and may not read on Opening Day. Romy González is also questionable for the opener due to a shoulder injury that recently required a platelet-rich plasma injection. Kiner-Falefa may not be as needed there due to Contreras’ presence, but injuries can happen at any time and Kiner-Falefa also mentioned the possibility of pinch-hitting for Contreras on occasion.
• The Blue jays might get Shane Bieber According to manager John Schneider, back earlier than expected (link via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). Schneider said Bieber “feels good” throwing from 100 feet and will be able to throw off a mound within two weeks. Last week, it was reported that Bieber would start the season on the injured list out of an abundance of caution due to forearm fatigue. This update may not change that timeline, but the team has enough rotation depth to take it easy on his progression regardless. A healthy Bieber would fit behind it Dylan stops, Trey YesavageAnd Kevin Gausman in the Jays’ rotation. For now, Cody Ponce And Jose Berrios round out the group.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images