Maybe the offseason Yankees-Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade rumors weren't so crazy after all

Let me preface this by saying I've been a big Jazz Chisholm Jr. fan. In fact, I still believe he'll turn it around and put up All-Star-caliber numbers when all is said and done. But his start to the 2026 season with the New York Yankees legitimately could not have gone worse.

Though he's gotten a few big hits this year (one was on Sunday in Milwaukee) and has made a number of sterling defensive plays, his overall performance has been terrible. Offensively, everybody knows what's happening. Chisholm is just popping up and striking out. He's not altering his approach or swing when different moments call for it. He's been awful at challenging balls/strikes. He looks completely lost.

Overall, he's hitting .201 with a .604 OPS and 69 OPS+. He's one of the worst qualified hitters in the sport. On Monday night against the Orioles, he had a chance to stop the snowball effect by driving in Aaron Judge, who was standing on third base with one out in the sixth inning. Instead, he struck out fecklessly against Dietrich Enns. Deitrich Enns.

That run would've been crucial after another Aaron Boone bullpen masterclass saw the Yankees cough up a 2-0 lead in a flash. Ryan Weathers' outing was wasted after Brent Headrick gave up a three-run homer to Coby Mayo in the bottom of the seventh. The score would stay that way and the Yanks would drop their fourth straight game.

When it was all over, Chisholm declined to speak with reporters, which he absolutely has the right to do. Everybody has the right to do it. But as we know, it sends the wrong message, especially when it's a veteran player who is supposed to be leading by example.

Should the Yankees have traded Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the offseason?

You cannot predict a 50-50 season and then fade into the background when the going gets tough. That's just not how it works. Chisholm put a target on his back by expressing confidence he would put forth an historic season, and it's gone in the opposite direction.

Remember when we couldn't comprehend the trade rumors surrounding Chisholm in the offseason? Yankees fans were rightfully wondering why the team would move a 30-30 talent with one year left of control at only $10 million. The Yankees paid more than that for Gleyber Torres to fumble around the infield for multiple years.

But now? Now it seems like it wasn't so farfetched. It seems like they could've sold high, improved another area of the roster that was severely lacking (bullpen, shortstop?), and wiped their hands clean. Because this team has been succeeding with Chisholm being this bad. They could literally have almost anybody else out there and the results would be the same (with the exception of Chisholm's impressive diving plays, probably).

The good news? Chisholm is at rock bottom, so the only way to go is up. Any positive showing out of him will greatly lift his numbers and change the discourse. But we are now 25% into the campaign and have seen zero signs of improvement. Even if he regresses to the mean, he'll be a league-average hitter with some pop and speed, which is more than enough for this Yankees team.

It's just going to be hard to get there if Chisholm is in his own head, declining to speak with the media, and making everything that much worse by not confronting what's been his fault.

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