With three weeks to go until the trade deadline, the Miami Marlins are sellers. The club will be ready to move multiple players on or before the deadline. It’s not a surprising decision considering the Marlins announced their status as deadline sellers more than two months ago. Now, the activity on that front should pick back up. Craig Mish of SportsGrid and the Miami Herald reports that there’s a “growing belief” Jazz Chisholm Jr. will also be traded. Chisholm, 26, is having a good season at the plate, hitting .255/.326/.407 with then home runs and 17 steals.
Strong Chance Jazz Chisholm Jr. Will Be Traded
In his article, Mish stated that this is the first time there has been “geninune interest in Chisholm as injuries, and his personality have kept other clubs wondering what they would be getting in return.”
“It looks like Miami is very much listening, and he could certainly help a team in need with his power/speed combination,” Mish said.
“The Seattle Mariners are a team that could use a bat, and should be a club to watch if the Marlins strike a deal for him. The Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates are also clubs that could have interest. Don’t rule out a trade to a team also out of contention as the belief is Chisholm could be traded this winter, so perhaps doing a deal now gets him before that door opens completely.”
There is little doubt to Chisholm as a player, who has the raw tools to be a star-caliber upside. He averages 25 home runs and 32 steals per 162 games player in his career. However, he’s never topped 124 games in a season, reaching 400 plate appearances once in his major league career. Injuries have come and gone for Chisholm but that caused him to miss significant time over the years. Since coming into the majors in 2021, Chisholm missed time with a shoulder injury, back strain, turf toe and an oblique strain.
Chisholm Is Affordable for Trade
Chisholm is only earning $2.65 million this season that comes with two more years of control. He’s been the Marlins primary center fielder for the past two seasons out of necessity. Miami has faced challenges to devlop a center fielder and has come up empty-handed in their attempts to acquire a controllable option at the position. Chisholm is a natural shortstop, but moved to second base early in his career. He then moved to center field last year and has drawn mixed reviews from defensive metrics.
Outfield and Second Base Is a Mariners Weakness
The Mariners have two weaknesses in outfield and second base. There was hope that the acquisition of Jorge Polanco would have provided depth at second base. But Polanco’s consistency on offense has been dismal as he’s hitting .189/.280/.284 with a career-worst 33.6 percent strikeout rate. The American League West- leading Mariners have their outfielders hitting for a combined .20/.285/.365.
Mish notes that tith two and half seasons of club control left, and his affordable salary, Chisholm could come with a steep cost. If the Marlins don’t get an offer that’s appealing in the next three weeks, they could turn their attention to current non-contenders who might strike a deal.
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