Padres Listed as Best Fit for Yankees All-Star Projected to Sign $128 Million Deal

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a very polarizing, mercurial player.

There are times where he resembles a dominant player — the one that was an All-Star in 2025 for the New York Yankees. However, there are moments when his in-game blunders can crop up and become detrimental to his team.

At 28 years of age, Chisholm projects as one of the more gifted players set to hit free agency. The hit tool is certainly there still as is his range as a fielder (ranking in the 98th percentile in range, per Baseball Savant).

Could the San Diego Padres potentially be a fit for the Bahamian star? According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, it's certainly a possibility.

Padres Linked to Jazz Chisholm Jr. in Free Agency

Bowden listed the Padres, Athletics, and Los Angeles Angels as possible fits. The former executive believes Chisholm Jr. could receive a six-year deal worth approximately $128 million.

"Chisholm wasn’t shy in spring training about declaring his goal of hitting 50 homers with 50 steals, numbers he hoped would earn a free-agent contract worth $350 million. Well, he hit 19 homers with 41 steals while hitting just .231, and his dream of a huge long-term contract has gone by the wayside, at least for this offseason. He’ll probably either have to sign a short-term, prove-it deal or a long-term contract with a non-contending team with opt-out clauses," Bowden wrote.

"It feels like the Yankees are going to move on from him even though he’d prefer to stay. He finished the year in the 23rd percentile in batting run value, but in the 85th percentile for defensive run value and 96th percentile in baserunning value."

Chisholm has terrific positional versatility. An outfielder earlier in his career, he can play second and third base at a decent level. This would appear to fit with San Diego's philosophy where it wants to collect as much talent as possible with worrying about positional fit later.

When looking at the Padres as a whole, Manny Machado certainly isn't going anywhere at third base. Chisholm may end up being a strong candidate for the second base spot currently occupied by Jake Cronenworth, who is approaching his 33rd birthday and showing real signs of a decline.

With so much money already tied up to several middle infielders on the roster, coupled with the starting rotation being very ambiguous at the moment, Chisholm might not be a must-get player for the Padres.

However, if he's willing to take a shorter-term deal, or even one with early opt-outs, the likelihood of him ending up in San Diego may increase.

Add us as a preferred source on Google