The Philadelphia Phillies have been linked to Miami Marlins star Jazz Chisholm Jr. by Bleacher Report. This comes after the Marlins traded Luis Arráez to the San Diego Padres. It is widely believed that the Marlins will be trading as many of their star players as possible at or before the July 30 trade deadline. With Arráez having been traded, it is reasonable to believe that Chisholm will be the next star player traded by the Marlins. Miami currently sits at 10-29, the third-worst record in MLB behind the Chicago White Sox and the Colorado Rockies. The Marlins have also indicated that manager Skip Schumaker and the team will part ways at the end of the season.
Jazz Chisholm on Luis Arráez being traded. pic.twitter.com/VQhPu9CCF3
— Marlins Radio Network (@MarlinsRadio) May 4, 2024
So far this season, Chisholm has a .236/.314/.400 line with five home runs and 20 RBI in 38 games. He also has eight stolen bases this season. During his major league career, Chisholm has played 164 games at second base, 46 games at shortstop, and 133 games in center field. Over the last two seasons, he has primarily played center field for the Marlins. This defensive versatility opens the door for more potential trade destinations based on teams’ positional needs. Of those three positions, Chisholm has the best fielding percentage in center field. Meanwhile, he has the most defensive runs saved (DRS) at second base among those three positions.
Phillies Linked To Jazz Chisholm Jr.
In the Bleacher Report article, author Zachary Rymer proposes a trade package that would see the Phillies send Justin Crawford and Eduardo Tait to the Marlins for Chisholm. Rymer theorizes that Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski wants to upgrade at the deadline. In this scenario, Chisholm would replace Johan Rojas as the team’s starting center fielder. So far in 31 games this season, Rojas has a .216/.266/.294 line with one home run, eight RBI, and seven stolen bases. While he has struggled at the plate, he has made improvements since the start of the season. Rojas is also very good defensively in center field with a career total of 12 DRS.
Why This Idea Does Not Make Much Sense For Philadelphia
There are a few issues with this trade proposal. First, the Phillies roster is stacked and does not have any clear openings for position players acquired through trade. Trea Turner is currently on the injured list. However, he is expected to return in six or so weeks, making that a short-term problem. The Turner injury does not necessitate the Phillies acquiring a player like Chisholm to fill in. Another issue is who the Phillies would send to the Marlins. Tait is an important part of any future plans at catcher for the Phillies. Meanwhile, Crawford is one of the Phillies’ top prospects and should be a part of their future outfield. In the long term, a Phillies outfield of Brandon Marsh, Rojas, and Crawford makes the most sense.
Both Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos have contracts that expire in the next few offseasons. Schwarber is scheduled to be a free agent after the 2025 season, and Castellanos after 2026. This will likely create an opening for Crawford on the Phillies major league roster. While Chisholm is under team control through the 2026 season, the Phillies acquiring him would leave Rojas in an awkward spot. Yes, the door would be open for Rojas if Schwarber and Castellanos do not sign contract extensions, but it would create a logjam in the Phillies outfield for the time being. It would also be hard to determine the batting order in that scenario with the team’s stacked lineup.
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