Rumors are swirling that the Pittsburgh Pirates have discussed a possible trade for Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the Miami Marlins. Reportedly, nothing is imminent. It’s difficult to lay odds on whether anything will come of it. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington is said to be working the phones on several trade fronts and is never forthcoming with any specific information.
Marlins insider @CraigMish on @937thefan: The Pirates and Marlins have had “exploratory trade discussions” on a Jazz Chisholm deal.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) July 19, 2024
Pirates Have Inquired About Versatile Marlins Star Chisholm
The left-handed-batting Chisholm, 26, began his major league career as a second baseman. He’s been the subject of trade rumors virtually all season. The Marlins moved him to center field last year when they acquired Luis Arráez. At the close of Friday’s action, Chisholm is batting .251/.322/.407 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI and has stolen 19 bases. Chisholm specializes in grand slams, as the Pirates and Bailey Falter became painfully aware in April.
Defensively, his advanced fielding statistics indicate he’s a much better second baseman than he is a center fielder, although the Marlins have seemed happy with his outfield play.
Giant Steps
After finishing 76-86 in 2023, a marked 14-game improvement over 2022, the consensus was that the Pirates were projected at around 84 wins in 2024. Both Cherington and owner Bob Nutting were on record that 2024 would be the year the Bucs would contend. Their record is a somewhat disappointing 49-48 as of this writing. However, thanks to strong starting pitching and a rather pedestrian National League, the Pirates are just one-half game out of a wild card spot. The record isn’t better because the Pirates have one of the weakest offenses in baseball. The Bucs rank in the bottom third of the NL in just about every important offensive category. Thus, the Pirates and Chisholm look to be a good match, if only the teams would pull the trigger.
It Don’t Mean a Thing if Chisholm Ain’t Got His Swing
Of course, the Pirates would look to Chisholm mainly for his offense. His current level of performance should be sustainable, as it’s not far off his career slash line of .247/.309/.440.
The Pirates are using a platoon of left-handed-hitting Jack Suwinski and veteran righty Michael A. Taylor in center field. That combination has given the Pirates the worst offense from that position in all of baseball. Taylor was never a high-average hitter, but at least had shown some power despite a propensity for striking out. This year, however, he’s hitting just .203/.258/.279, 2 HR, 13 RBI, and 53 OPS+. He’s struck out 68 times in 172 at-bats. Suwinski is hitting .177/.260/.321, but with a team-fourth-best nine homers.
Center field is clearly the spot where the Pirates would like to plug in Chisholm. However, right-handed-batting second baseman Nick Gonzales has hit a bit of a rough patch lately, too. Since June 16, his average has dropped from .311 to .264. It’s easy to imagine a scenario where Gonzales is platooning with Suwinski, with Chisholm starting in center field or at second base to accommodate the platoon. Manager Derek Shelton likes to shuffle his lineup daily, so this arrangement wouldn’t be out of the question.
Tomorrow is the Question
In return for Chisholm, it’s been speculated the Marlins would accept a package of prospects. Their dual motivation would be to stock their farm system while shedding his future salary. He becomes eligible for arbitration in 2025 and free agency in 2027. His present salary is $2.625 million. Chisholm won’t command Shohei Ohtani-type money, but it will be more than the cost-conscious Marlins would be interested in paying for a player who may be gone by the time they’re rebuilt into a contender. While the Pirates are equally cost-conscious, whatever Chisholm is awarded in arbitration shouldn’t be distasteful to them.
However, Cherington must weigh what he gives up against the likelihood that Chisholm may be in Pittsburgh for just two more years after 2024. The Marlins understand that side of it, too. Thus, they won’t be asking for Bubba Chandler or Termarr Johnson, both of whom appeared in the recent Futures Game. A package of lower-ranked prospects from Single-A or Double-A might do it.
Then again, two-and-a-half years can be a long time in baseball. For the Pirates, Chisholm would be better than a player whose contract expires at the end of this season. For two teams always with an eye to the future, the deal makes sense.
A Love Supreme
While Cherington has stated that “internal improvement” may be preferable to a trade to help the offense, it’s time to guarantee that improvement with a trade acquisition. Although it doesn’t always translate into the attendance figures, the fan base has been loyal through thick and thin, mostly thin in recent years. The enthusiasm at PNC Park (if not among the internet trolls) has been palpable in recent days. Friday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies was sold out, as is Saturday’s game. Undoubtedly, some of that is attributable to well-traveling Phillies fans, but it’s still a testament to Pittsburgh. It will be interesting to see what Cherington has up his sleeve.
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