Yankees must avoid Jazz Chisholm-Gleyber Torres temptation at trade deadline

According to 2022's buzz cycle, the New York Yankees nearly dealt starting second baseman Gleyber Torres to the Miami Marlins in a flurry that would've netted them ace right-hander Pablo Lopez (who'd yet to fully break out at that point). No matter how close a deal actually got (down to the wire? just discussed?), word clearly filtered down to Torres, who spent a month getting back to equilibrium, and whose struggles dragged the Yankees down thoroughly that August when they needed him most.

The very same struggles have reared their hideous head this spring, as Torres -- approaching his free agency walk year -- hasn't been himself at the plate, making his lapses in the field all the more unpalatable.

At this point, with likely three months to go in his Yankee tenure barring an unforeseen turnaround, "selling low" on Torres should no longer be a primary concern. If the Yankees do not believe that Torres can rebound and contribute down the stretch after battling groin tightness and job insecurity, they should collect assets rather than lose him for nothing. Unfortunately, their infield isn't nearly as crowded as it used to be; let's just say the loss of Jon Berti has been felt more than anticipated. The chances of a Torres rebound in the second half are far more likely than the odds that a lottery ticket obtained in exchange for his services will ever become a valued Yankee. The best option for New York is probably staying the course with Torres and adding a piece of trustworthy infield depth to flesh out the lineup.

All of this to say ... with Miami still on the prowl and looking to sell, the Yankees have to avoid the temptation to replace Torres with a flashier option at second base, a player who's been converted to center field but is far more natural at Torres' keystone: Jazz Chisholm, who brings similar frustrations to the table.

As FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray always says, when Craig Mish speaks on the Marlins, listen. In this case, Craig Mish is speaking fairly explicitly about the potential of Chisholm being on the move.

Yankees must avoid being tempted by Jazz Chisholm rumors

And, wouldn't you know it? Jon Heyman reported on Thursday that the Yankees have internally discussed Chisholm. Naturally.

Chisholm has become somewhat underrated this season after the baseball world collectively agreed he hadn't earned an MLB The Show cover last year (which is apparently a metric we now judge these things by). Unfortunately, that shift in perception can't change reality: Chisholm is an average hitter (103 OPS+ this season, 100 last year) with a sheen of electricity. Flash is his strongest attribute. Adding pieces at the deadline who are comfortable and fit seamlessly is always a delicate balance. Adding Chisholm midstream, and paying a real price to get him, could be a newfound mess. Who wants to pay a 20% markup on a lightning rod?

The "growing belief" the Marlins will trade Chisholm should be enough to scare teams off; if former Tampa Bay Rays exec Peter Bendix doesn't want 2.5 years of Chisholm, then why should you? Brian Cashman (shocker) probably missed his window on a Torres trade, and should now add to Torres' presence rather than deal him away and slot in another former All-Star wild card.

Any Marlins calls from heron out should begin and end with Tanner Scott. Dealing for Jazz is like listening to Jazz; it's all about the trades you don't make.