Unpacking Blue Jays' pursuit of Jazz Chisholm Jr., one of MLB's most polarizing players

Few MLB players elicit stronger reactions than Jazz Chisholm Jr. Some people love his flair; others can’t stand his antics. People tend to agree on only one thing: he's extremely talented.

With all this in mind, his free agency is likely to be divisive. For every projected mega-contract based on his upside, there will be a talking head suggesting any serious team shouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole.

So what’s the truth about Chisholm? It’s complicated. The Blue Jays have their work cut out for them if they decide to pursue the mercurial second baseman.

Weighing the pros and cons of signing Chisholm

The pros

The case for the Blue Jays signing Chisholm is relatively straightforward: he’s a really good baseball player. He’s the full package as someone who hits for power, steals bases, and plays good defence.

The 2026 wasn’t great for Chisholm—more on that later—but he still hit 19 home runs while stealing a career-high 41 bases. The year before that, he joined the prestigious 30-30 club in his first full campaign playing for the New York Yankees.

While Chisholm doesn’t grade out as having a strong arm at second base, he ranked in the 98th percentile with a ridiculous 15 outs above average this past season. His speed and athleticism allow him to get to balls that other infielders simply can’t reach.

When considering the downright horrific production the Blue Jays got from their middle infield duo of Andrés Giménez and Ernie Clement in 2026, it’s not hard to see why they would be interested in adding Chisholm to the mix.

Unfortunately, as we have alluded to, Chisholm is far from a slam-dunk signing.

The cons

The first red flag in Chisholm’s free agent case is that he simply wasn't a good hitter this past season. His .711 OPS (97 OPS+) was the lowest of his career, while his 157 strikeouts at the plate were the most he’s ever had.

Chisholm’s regression in the power department is deeply concerning. His slugging percentage fell from .481 in 2025 to a paltry .399, with his xSLG of .366 suggesting that number may still have been an outperformance of expectations. His bat speed falling a full mile per hour year-over-year coincided with a massive decline in his barrel rate.

It’s fair to wonder what kind of hitter Chisholm truly is at this stage of his career. While he is probably better than what he showed in 2026, he might never recapture the form that made him an All-Star with the Yankees in 2025. Reality may lie somewhere in between.

Then there are Chisholm’s antics. Whether it’s drawing attention to himself with ridiculous quotes, sucking on lollipops mid-game, or admitting to forgetting the rules, it’s reasonable to ask whether his head is always in the game. He often seems unfocused.

This schtick goes over fine when you’re among the best players in the game—it’s harder to stomach when you’re grading out as below average at the plate. Whichever team signs Chisholm had better hope they’re getting the best version of him.

The bottom line

Signing Jazz Chisholm Jr. would make the Blue Jays better in 2027. How much better would depend on whether he showed up motivated or was just happy to collect the cheque. That makes him a massive gamble that Toronto probably shouldn’t take, but could find themselves rewarded if everything comes together in a perfect storm.

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