NEW YORK — Jazz Chisholm Jr. stole 41 bases this season, a career high. He also struck out in 29.5% of his plate appearances, and his bat slid in his walk year.
Now the New York Yankees must decide what second base is worth to them.
Chisholm hit .231 with a .312 on-base percentage, a .399 slugging percentage and 19 home runs in 137 games. His OPS fell from .813 in 2025 to .711. FanGraphs still credited him with 3.5 WAR, helped by 13 Outs Above Average at second base. He had hit 30 home runs for the Yankees in 2025.
He becomes a free agent the day after the World Series ends. The qualifying offer for this winter is $23.15 million. The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty reported it is “highly unlikely” the Yankees make that offer.
The Yankees have recent reason for caution. Trent Grisham accepted their $22.05 million qualifying offer last winter, then had a subpar, injury-shortened season in center field.
An executive surveyed by MLB.com projected Chisholm’s market at three to four years and about $20 million per season. Earlier this year, he was reported to be seeking eight to 10 years at $35 million annually.
Chisholm made his preference clear after the Yankees were swept by Tampa Bay in the ALDS. He was asked about returning to the Bronx after the Game 3 loss at Yankee Stadium.
“I do hope to be back,” Chisholm said.
The decision comes in an offseason that began with Yankees captain Aaron Judge urging the front office to go all-in after another early October exit.
The internal options are limited. Anthony Volpe played second base in 2026. Luis García Jr. has spent most of his career there. Neither has locked down the job. On the free-agent market, Chisholm and Pittsburgh’s Brandon Lowe headline a short list of second basemen.
That has turned attention toward Atlanta.
Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies has emerged in trade speculation as a fit for the Yankees.
What Albies brings
Albies, who turns 30 in January, played all 162 games in 2026. He hit .237 with 22 home runs, 27 doubles and 73 RBIs, and he made his fourth All-Star team after a .267 first half with 14 homers.
The second half was rougher. He finished with a .293 on-base percentage and a .392 slugging percentage, good for a .685 OPS.
He has hit at least 22 home runs in five seasons. The Braves won the NL East, beat Philadelphia in the wild-card round and lost to the Dodgers in the NLDS.
His contract is the draw. Atlanta holds a $7 million club option for 2027, the last year of the deal. He would be a free agent after next season.
Why the Braves could consider trading Albies
Atlanta must decide whether to keep Albies for one final season at $7 million or convert his expiring contract into pitching and young talent. He can become a free agent after 2027, making this a chance to address other needs before his control expires.
Albies hit .237 with a .685 OPS in 2026 despite an All-Star first half. His strong postseason showed his value, while a team-friendly salary gives Atlanta leverage with clubs seeking a veteran second baseman.
Luis Gil and Jace Avina would give Atlanta a former Rookie of the Year pitcher and a power-hitting outfield prospect, offering a baseball return beyond salary relief.
The counterweight is continuity. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said of Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr., “They’re really good players, and we expect to have them going forward.”
The case by the numbers
On the 2026 season line, Chisholm was the more productive hitter. His .711 OPS tops Albies’ .685, and he stole 41 bases to Albies’ four. Albies’ edge comes from cost, contact and left-handed pitching.
Cost: Albies’ $7 million option is about $13 million less per year than the market projection for Chisholm. It comes with no long-term commitment.
Contact: Albies struck out in 15.4% of his plate appearances in 2026, roughly half of Chisholm’s 29.5% rate.
Lefties: Chisholm owns a career 82 wRC+ against left-handers. The switch-hitting Albies batted .290 with a .776 OPS against them in 2026. Across his career, he has hit .320 with an .871 OPS in 1,363 plate appearances against lefties, based on his season-by-season splits.
That split addresses a specific Yankees need at the position. Albies’ durability adds to the case. He played 25 more games than Chisholm in 2026.
What the Yankees would give up
A Heavy proposal circulating this week would send right-hander Luis Gil and outfield prospect Jace Avina to Atlanta for the four-time All-Star.
Gil won the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Award but opened 2026 in the minors and pitched sparingly in the majors. He posted a 4.61 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 18 walks in 27 1/3 big-league innings. The Yankees moved him to the bullpen and optioned him Sept. 25, then recalled him after the season. They are now looking to offload him via trade.
Avina, 23, was acquired from Milwaukee for Jake Bauers in November 2023. He hit 21 home runs at Double-A Somerset in 2026.
Atlanta’s option decision comes within five days after the World Series ends. Chisholm hits the open market in the same window.
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