Miami Marlins infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. has had a turbulent career in Major League Baseball thus far. He's been on awful teams and some not-so-awful teams. He's played second base and he's played center field. He's been on the cover of MLB The Show and he's been on the injured list. And perhaps soon, he could be on the move.
It was easy to look at a Marlins team that made a playoff berth with a -52 run differential and predict that some regression might be in order. But having the third-worst record in baseball, losing 80% of the starting rotation to injury and trading Luis Arraez in the first week of May? Not even the most pessimistic of projections could have foreseen this season in Miami.
So if Arraez was on the chopping block with two-and-a-half years of control left on his rookie contract, it's entirely plausible Chisholm could be too. And a dynamic player like Chisholm, though he hasn't been the most consistent hitter throughout his career, could shake up the playoff race fairly dramatically. So today, let's examine the three most intriguing trade destinations for the Marlins' compelling center fielder:
Los Angeles Dodgers
The way things are shaping up, it appears the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to have a lot to say about the way the 2024 trade deadline plays out. With all the star power they possess, they have two obvious holes in the lineup, and those holes happen to be the two main positions Chisholm has played during his career: center field and second base.
And perhaps Chisholm prefers to play one of the two positions exclusively during a season, but the Dodgers have also shown a willingness with Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernandez to move a player back and forth between the infield and outfield, so acquiring Chisholm could unlock the best version of the L.A. lineup on any given night depending on matchups. And moving from the dimly lit hideaway of loanDepot Park to the bright lights of Chavez Ravine would be added motivation for Chisholm, who seems to love the pressure of added eyeballs.
From the Marlins' perspective, trading with the Dodgers is always an appealing prospect because L.A. always has one of the most stacked farm systems in the game. One of the biggest needs Miami has is the catching position and three of the Dodgers' top ten prospects right now are catchers. There's a lot of opportunity for the Marlins to get a good package based on the amount of quality games an obvious contender like the Dodgers should get from Chisholm in the deal.
Cincinnati Reds
If you're looking for the most fun destination for Chisholm, look no further. Pairing a colorful personality like Chisholm's with the budding superstar status of Elly De La Cruz is a win for baseball as a whole. And though it seemed improbable that the Reds would be buyers a couple weeks ago, things are already starting to change on that front. Could the Marlins be suitors?
Now on a five-game winning streak, the Reds have worked themselves right back into playoff contention at 30-33. The National League is a complete mess right now and a team like Cincinnati with a young core in place that's eager to prove they're building something good should be jumping at the chance to make a playoff appearance by any means necessary. And with TJ Friedl and Jonathan India both struggling, Chisholm would be a lineup upgrade on multiple fronts.
And from a stylistic standpoint, it makes a ton of sense for Cincy to continue building on their power-speed identity as a ballclub. De La Cruz is going to do three things offensively: hit for power, lead the league in stolen bases and strike out a ton. And with Will Benson and Christian Encarnacion-Strand also in the fold for the foreseeable future, the Reds are going to be a team with a high strikeout rate as a whole. So there's no real need to worry about Chisholm having a boom-or-bust mentality at the plate, whereas his 30-30 potential is yet another tool in the Reds' dynamic toolkit.
Kansas City Royals
If De La Cruz is the number one young star MLB would love to see Chisholm paired with, Bobby Witt Jr. might be option 1B. The Kansas City Royals are firmly established as Wild Card contenders thanks to a fantastic April and May, but their schedule toughening up considerably moving forward. Their best bet is to load up their roster rather than relying on the players who have gotten them here to continue carrying the load.
The Royals have had a mixed bag in terms of production at Chisholm's positions, with Kyle Isbel primarily providing defensive value in center and second baseman Michael Massey having a mini-breakout before getting injured. But in general, the Royals have had one of the worst-hitting outfields in baseball all season and having Chisholm's bat in the lineup would almost certainly be a boon, with second base duties coming as a backup priority.
Making a trade like this is a big move for an organization, and historically, Kansas City hasn't been one of those organizations that frequently pulls the trigger on this sort of deal. But since the Sherman family bought the team, brought in Patrick Mahomes as a minority owner and extended Witt for $288 million, it's become easier to see the Royals playing the role of the high-rollers. Making this deal would firmly entrench the team in win-now mode and give the fans a lot to be excited about as Witt continues to ascend to the top of the sport.
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