SARASOTA, Fla. — Jazz Chisholm Jr. stood at his locker Friday afternoon, freshly showered after the Yankees’ 2-0 Grapefruit League loss to the Orioles, and did what Jazz Chisholm always does.
He talked. He laughed. He said things no other player in pinstripes would say out loud. And by the time he was done, he had set the Yankees’ offseason conversation on fire before the regular season has even started.
In the span of one extended interview session with NJ.com’s Randy Miller, the 28-year-old second baseman declared himself a future 50/50 player, put a $35 million price tag on his next contract, took a direct shot at the Los Angeles Dodgers and fought back tears talking about a childhood friend he lost.
It was the most Jazz Chisholm thing possible. And it left the Yankees with a lot to think about.
Chisholm drops a $350 million bombshell on the Yankees’ doorstep
When Miller asked what it would take for the Yankees to lock him up, Chisholm did not hesitate.
“What did I tell you last year? $300 million?” Chisholm said. “It’s probably bigger than that now, probably $35 million.”
When asked how many years, he was just as direct.
“I’m 28. I want 8-to-10 years.”
That works out to somewhere between $280 million and $350 million in total guaranteed money. For context, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed with the Blue Jays this winter at just above $35 million per year. Cody Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees for $32.5 million annually. Kyle Tucker got $60 million per year from the Dodgers.
When asked if he would take a $25 million offer from the Yankees, Chisholm shut it down.
“I’d say no because I know I can get $35 million somewhere else,” he said. “That’s $10 million less a year.”
Chisholm earns $10.2 million this season. He is entering the final year of his contract and has not been approached by the club about an extension, per The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. General manager Brian Cashman confirmed in November 2025 that no serious extension talks had taken place. The Yankees rarely extend players before free agency. They did not do it for Aaron Judge, Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera.
The Dodgers dig and why fans should pay attention
Chisholm also made it clear where he would not go.
“I’d go to the Angels before I’d go to the Dodgers, because I’d want to go and win by myself and build my roof,” he said.
The comment landed hard. The Dodgers have won two straight World Series titles. They signed Tucker this winter and added to an already loaded roster. For Chisholm to publicly dismiss them as a destination says something about how he views legacy.
“Don’t ever set the bar low,” Chisholm said. “If you set the bar low, you’re a loser.”
50/50 ambitions and the numbers that back his confidence
Chisholm also doubled down on his goal to join Shohei Ohtani as the only player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
When Miller questioned whether 50/50 was realistic, Chisholm pushed back.
“When I said 40/40 to you guys, did it seem realistic?” he said. “Yeah, and I didn’t play a month either and I didn’t steal for two months. I’m not gonna say nothing that I don’t think I can do.”
He has a point. In 2025, Chisholm hit .242/.332/.481 with 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases in just 130 games. He earned All-Star honors and his first Silver Slugger award. His 8 Outs Above Average at second base ranked fourth in the majors. His 4.2 WAR was a career high.
Only seven players went 30/30 last season. Chisholm did it in the fewest games of any of them. He also has Jeff Kent’s all-time second baseman home run record circled. And he knows the exact numbers by heart.
“He hit 377. I know it on the dot,” Chisholm said. “Robinson Cano is No. 2 at 335. I’m at 110.”
Yankees history says this kind of talk can cut both ways
The Yankees have a complicated relationship with players who speak this freely. The franchise has always valued a certain standard of public restraint. Jeter kept his contract business behind closed doors. Even Judge, who played an entire walk year in 2022 after turning down a $213.5 million extension, barely said a word about money in public.
Some Yankees fans will love the honesty. Others will hear a player angling for the exit. The reality is somewhere in between.
There are cases where public maneuvering, combined with firm financial lines, led to departures of Yankees stars.
The clearest example is Robinson Cano. During his 2013 free agency, Cano’s camp made it known he wanted a 10-year deal worth around $300 million. The Yankees reportedly offered seven years at $175 million. The gap became public. Cano did not lower expectations. The Yankees did not raise theirs to that level. He signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with Seattle. The Yankees chose discipline over sentiment, even at the cost of losing a prime All-Star.
Another case involved Reggie Jackson. Jackson was outspoken throughout his Yankees tenure. His clashes with owner George Steinbrenner were well documented. After the 1981 season, the Yankees did not aggressively retain him. He departed for the California Angels.
Alex Rodriguez nearly became another example. In 2007, he opted out of his deal during the World Series, stunning the organization. The Yankees initially said they would not negotiate further. They later reversed course and re-signed him. The episode showed how public maneuvering can strain relationships, even if it does not always end them.
The Yankees rarely let icons go simply for speaking freely. The deciding factor has been contract structure and long-term risk. When public demands exceed the franchise’s valuation model, the Yankees have shown they will walk away.
Will Yankees budge?
Health and durability sit at the center of the Yankees’ contract calculus with Jazz Chisholm Jr. He has never reached that level of availability. His career high is 147 games, and he has topped 100 games only three times. That track record raises concerns about committing long term money to a player who has not consistently proven he can stay on the field.
Chisholm, 28, has stated he wants to remain with the Yankees for 8-10 seasons. Still, recent negotiations around Cody Bellinger showed that personal preference does not override financial reality. A potential eight year deal would test the Yankees’ current payroll philosophy, especially as they move away from automatic mega contracts.
Market dynamics could also push the price higher. Several clubs need a second baseman, and there is no comparable star drawing attention elsewhere. That could intensify bidding.
While $35 million per year sounds steep, there are very few position players in their prime hitting free agency next winter. Chisholm, who has generated 6.7 WAR since joining the Yankees in July 2024, is arguably the most well-rounded second baseman in the sport right now. If he stays healthy and repeats last year’s production, the money will be there.
But the Yankees, as MLB Trade Rumors reported, may already be looking past Chisholm. Prospect George Lombard Jr. had 35 doubles, 86 walks and 89 runs scored in the minors last season. He could be ready to join Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero in the middle infield by 2027, giving Cashman reason to let Chisholm walk.
For the Yankees, the decision goes beyond numbers. Signing Chisholm secures a dynamic two way player in his prime. But waiting risks losing him in 2026 without return. Overpaying, however, could limit roster flexibility.
For now, the tension sits. Chisholm wants to stay. He wants to be paid. And he is not going to be quiet about either one.
“I think the contract year is even better for me,” Chisholm said. “I like pressure. It’s just like a roller coaster. If you don’t enjoy the ride, it’s gonna suck. When you enjoy the ride, it’s one of the best rides of your life.”
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Remind me: How many teams has Jazz led to world championships?
Right. Thought so. Let’s just say Andrew Friedman isn’t salivating at the prospect of Jezz Chasm being a Dodger.