Yankees Pass on Qualifying Offer for Jazz Chisholm Jr.

The New York Yankees have decided against extending a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., allowing the 28-year-old to enter free agency with no draft-pick compensation attached to him. The decision, reported after Monday's deadline, stands in contrast to the club's handling of closer David Bednar, who did receive a qualifying offer and now has until November 17 to accept or decline it. Chisholm's case was complicated by a difficult 2026 season at the plate. He finished with a .231 batting average, a .312 on-base percentage and a .399 slugging mark, hitting 19 home runs with 55 runs batted in across 137 games. His .711 OPS was more than 100 points below the .813 he posted during a 31-homer, 31-steal campaign in 2025, and a quiet October only made the club's hesitation easier to understand. Without a qualifying offer, the field of teams willing to bet on a bounce-back at 28 widens considerably, since no signing club will have to surrender draft compensation. Inside the Yankees, the internal options at second base are Anthony Volpe, Jose Caballero and Luis Garcia Jr., though none offers Chisholm's blend of power and speed when he is right. For Chisholm, the winter now becomes a test of how the market values upside over a down year.