Padres linked to 40-steal Yankees star as possible free agent landing spot
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Padres linked to 40-steal Yankees star as possible free agent landing spot originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Diego Padres are headed towards the 2026-2027 free agency period with a new owner and potentially more money to spend.
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While they really need to upgrade the rotation, they cannot ignore the other areas of need on the roster either. Infield isn't a massive need with so much invested in Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado, but an upgrade can't be ruled out yet.
Mike Axisa of CBS Sports named the Padres as a possible landing spot for one infield upgrade in the form of a 40-steal New York Yankees All-Star free agent in Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Padres linked to Jazz Chisholm Jr. as possible landing spot in free agency
"Prime-aged middle infielders who can hit for power, steal bases, and defend at a high level are in short supply. Chisholm is the only one who meets the criteria in the free agent class," Axisa writes. "Super early possible landing spots: Padres, Rangers."
Chisholm might not make as much sense for the Padres with their strong infield already, but if the Padres decide to move on from Jake Cronenworth, which is not a bad idea at all, Chisholm would make sense as a long-term second base option.
He's still just 28 years old and has been a productive player during his MLB career, especially lately. He posted 2.9 bWAR in 2024, followed by 4.1 bWAR in 2025. He has 1.5 bWAR in 134 games this year, but he's put up strong numbers overall.
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This season for the Yankees, he has 40 stolen bases, the most in the American League, and a .715 OPS with 19 homers. While nothing overly impressive offensively, his career .760 OPS should give the Padres, or any team, belief he could be a star for a while.
He has already made two All-Star teams, and considering the massive upside he brings daily with his power and speed, along with quality defense, he's exactly the kind of free agent worth spending a bit on.
If the Padres can find a way to move on from Cronenworth and replace him with Chisholm, it would be quite a strong move for AJ Preller and the new ownership group in their first offseason together.
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