TAMPA — Aaron Boone doesn’t need Jazz to be on shuffle this season
The Yankees supervisor is planning on shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. again to second base this yr, and although he left the door open for him to return to 3rd base after studying it on the fly final yr, Boone desires him to have a everlasting dwelling as soon as the season begins.
“I don’t wish to get into bouncing him forwards and backwards,” Boone stated Tuesday after a exercise at Steinbrenner Area. “However as soon as we decide on what we’re doing [with the roster], then I’ll make that ultimate name. However I simply felt like him going to second, retaining the [Oswaldo] Cabrera, DJ [LeMahieu], [Oswald] Peraza, [Jorbit] Vivas, whoever else you wish to throw in that blend, I felt like made extra sense hashing it out at third.”
Chisholm is a pure shortstop who performed principally second base in 2021 and 2022 earlier than shifting to middle subject in 2023 and the primary half of 2024.
He moved to 3rd base final summer season after the Yankees acquired him from the Marlins. He made the transition look principally seamless and graded out properly there metrically — recording eight outs above common.
And although Boone believes Chisholm can “be elite at both place,” he thinks he has “an opportunity to be actually dynamic within the center with Anthony [Volpe].”
That stated, Boone left himself some wiggle room because the scenario might change — for instance, if nobody emerges for the third base job and the most effective infielder the Yankees can purchase later in camp is a second baseman.
“Proper now, I’ve him locked in at second, however that may at all times change,” Boone stated.
Gerrit Cole threw the equal of two innings in a reside batting observe session Tuesday, constructing his pitch rely as much as 35 whereas dealing with a gaggle that included shortstop prospects George Lombard Jr. and Roderick Arias.
A yr after not bouncing again properly between spring outings led to the analysis of an elbow nerve damage, the Yankees are retaining shut tabs on that this spring.
“That’s been good,” Boone stated. “His facet the opposite day into this reside was actually, actually sharp, and I assumed he carried that on the market. Actually managed his tempo and the way a lot he wished to throttle up and down. He was in that 94-96 [mph] however in a position to again off, and add and subtract whereas additionally having actually good command with it. For this time of the yr, actually sharp.”
Pitching prospect Cam Schlittler, coming off a breakout season within the minors, additionally threw reside batting observe and struck out Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, LeMahieu and Volpe.