Yankees general manager Brian Cashman comments on Jazz Chisholm Jr. extension
“I’m not sure how that would play out,” Cashman said. “But we haven’t had any conversation other than he’s looking forward to playing next year. He loves playing here, and if we’re open, if you want to have a legitimate conversation about value, he’s also open to a longer-term conversation.”
The Yankees generally don’t do many extensions. According to MLBTR contract trackerwith data going back to early 2006, the Yankees have signed six extensions in that nearly two-decade span. There haven’t been any since 2019, when they completed three deals for Luis Severino, Aaron Hicks and Aroldis Chapman. None of these three deals worked out particularly well for the club, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that they haven’t bounced back so well.
Chisholm is having a good season. His strikeout rate of 27.9% was high, but he increased his walk rate to a career-best 10.9%. He also hit 31 home runs and stole 31 bases. His .242/.332/.481 batting line translated to a 126 wRC+. His defense at third base wasn’t strong, but the Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon and moved Chisholm to second, where he performed better. All told, FanGraphs credited him with 4.4 wins above replacement.
Should the Yankees try Jazz Chisholm Jr. to extend?
It’s possible the Yankees are content to let Chisholm play his final arbitration season MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a salary of $10.2 million, and then letting him walk. Assuming he has another season like 2025, he could easily turn down a qualifying offer in search of a strong multi-year pact starting with his age-29 season.
By then, it’s possible that potential George Lombard Jr. has arrived and forced his way into the midfield conversation. Lombard, 21 in June, was the club’s first-round pick in 2023. He has been climbing the minor league ladder, reaching Double-A in May. He played 108 games at that level this year and should reach Triple-A in 2026, perhaps even straight out of camp. He hit just eight home runs and had just a .215 batting average at that level, but he walked at a strong 13.6% clip. His .215/.337/.358 line translated to a 111 wRC+.
While that offense isn’t overwhelming, Lombard was young for this level. He is still considered one of the top 50 prospects in the league by most media outlets. His defense is considered strong enough to hold at shortstop.
According to Kuty, Cashman said this week that Lombard could reach the majors in 2026, but 2027 is more likely.
“Defensively, he’s ready to go,” the GM said. “And offensively, it looks like he needs more time, and we want to get that time and those reps. So I wouldn’t think ’26 is on the horizon, but at the same time I wouldn’t (rule out) ’26.”
The Yankees can control Anthony Volpe through arbitration through 2028 and José Caballero through 2029. Perhaps they feel that Chisholm’s departure and Lombard’s arrival could align quite well so that the middle infield can be addressed internally, allowing them to focus resources on pitching or the outfield. On the other hand, it’s also possible they could return to Chisholm later, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Volpe’s shoulder injury and poor performance in 2025. The most common time for extension talks is in the spring, after a club has spent the offseason focusing on outside additions.
As for Ben Rice, his offense isn’t locked down, but he’ll be in it somehow. As relayed by Gary Phillips of the New York Daily NewsCashman did not say for certain whether Rice would catch or play first base, but he said first base was more likely. Somehow, Cashman confirmed that he would be an everyday player.
That’s not surprising considering Rice hit 26 home runs this year, helping him produce a .255/.337/.499 slash line and 133 wRC+. He did some catching, but spent more time at first. With Paul Goldschmidt a free agent, it’s possible Rice could fill that spot on a day-to-day basis. Like most lefty hitters, he was better against righties in 2025, but his work against lefties was decent. His batting average wasn’t great in the split, but he hit seven home runs in 119 at-bats without a platoon advantage, leading to a .208/.271/.481 slash and 104 wRC+.
Phillips also notes that Cashman talked about wanting to add a catcher who swings from the right side, as Austin Wells, Rice and JC Escarra are both lefty bats. Cashman described the market as “very thin,” but there are good bats. JT Realmuto is too good for a short platoon job and the same probably goes for Victor Caratini, but guys like Danny Jansen, James McCann, Luke Maile, Mitch Garver and old friend Gary Sánchez are available.
#Yankees #Brian #Cashman #Jazz #Chisholm #Extension #Work