Marlins get back 3 prospects from Yanks in trade for Chisholm
Christina De Nicola
@cdenicola13MILWAUKEE -- The Marlins dealt Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Yankees for three prospects -- catcher Agustin Ramirez, infielder Jared Serna and infielder Abrahan Ramirez on Saturday.
This is the second move Miami has made ahead of Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline: The Marlins acquired a pair of Arizona's Top 30 prospects in exchange for setup man A.J. Puk on Thursday night.
TRADE DETAILS
Marlins receive: C Agustin Ramirez (Yankees No. 20 prospect), INF Jared Serna (No. 19 prospect), INF Abrahan Ramirez
Yankees receive: OF/INF Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Agustin Ramirez, who ranked as the Yankees' No. 20 prospect per MLB Pipeline, fills a need in the Marlins' catcher-thin organization. In 2024, Marlins backstops have had the worst wRC+ (33, entering Saturday) in the Majors. Miami's only ranked catching prospects entering Saturday were Double-A Pensacola's Joe Mack (No. 27) and Triple-A Jacksonville's Will Banfield (No. 30).
The 22-year-old slugging backstop is one level away from the big leagues after being promoted from Double-A to Triple-A, where he has played in 29 games. Between the two levels, Ramirez has 17 doubles, one triple, 20 homers and 69 RBIs in 87 games.
According to MLB Pipeline's scouting report, with his short right-handed stroke, bat speed and strength, Ramirez makes consistent contact and produces impressive exit velocities. Ramirez stands out much more for his offensive upside than his defensive prowess. Some scouts believe he'll wind up at first base.
Miami added Agustin Ramirez to the 40-man roster, but he is expected to report to Triple-A Jacksonville.
Serna, ranked as the Yankees' No. 19 prospect, batted .253/.341/.444 with 26 doubles and 13 homers in 88 games at the High-A level this season. He was named to the Florida State League postseason All-Star team in 2023.
Per MLB Pipeline, the 22-year-old Serna has a naturally compact right-handed stroke and makes good swing decisions, allowing him to make repeated contact. He hits the ball harder than expected for a 5-foot-7, 168-pounder. Serna has predominantly played shortstop (78 games) over second base (eight) in 2024.
Both Agustin Ramirez and Serna were managed at Single-A Tampa by Rachel Balkovec, who is the Marlins' new director of player development.
Abrahan Ramirez, who was not among the Yankees' Top 30 prospects, had a .960 OPS in 49 games at the Rookie-level Florida Complex League. The 19-year-old mainly appeared at third base (37 games), with some time at second (13) and short (one).
Voted in as the National League's starting second baseman for the 2022 All-Star Game, Chisholm has spent the vast majority of the past two seasons in center field, where he moved in order to make room for Miami's acquisition of All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez. Only recently did Chisholm return to second a couple times a week to cut back on how much running he was doing in the outfield.
"Jazz was obviously meaningful to the fan base and to the organization -- cover of [MLB] The Show, you name it, right?" manager Skip Schumaker said. "Every kid -- including my kid -- wanted to turn on the TV to watch Jazz, so it's always tough to lose a dynamic player like Jazz.
"He was willing to move off positions, he was willing to move up and down the lineup. He got better when you asked him to get better at different positions or against left-handed pitching. There was nothing that Jazz couldn't do and wasn't willing to do for me and his team."
Entering 2024, the two biggest questions concerning Chisholm were his ability to stay healthy and hit against left-handers. He has proven himself on both fronts. The left-handed-hitting Chisholm, who already has surpassed his total number of games from '23, has a better average and on-base percentage vs. southpaws this season.
While Chisholm's home run rate is down, he has double-digit taters and stolen bases for the fourth consecutive season. Chisholm has one of the best improvements in whiff rate despite seeing fewer pitches to hit. He also showcases elite baserunning value, according to Baseball Savant.
¡°Obviously, I was a part of [the Deadline] in Chicago last year when we were underperforming there, and I was in the middle of it,¡± said Jake Burger, who was acquired from the White Sox ahead of last year¡¯s Trade Deadline. ¡°He's such a great dude, great teammate. He's loved by everybody in this clubhouse. I wish him the best, and it's just part of the business. Hopefully he goes up there and kills it.
¡°Just his energy and just how he goes about his business every single day. What he brings out there is fun. His style of baseball is awesome to be on the same side as him. Obviously it's tough, but like I said, it's just part of the game.¡±
The 26-year-old Chisholm is no stranger to Deadline deals, having gone from Arizona to Miami for right-hander Zac Gallen in a rare prospect-for-prospect deal in 2019. Chisholm, who is making $2.63 million in 2024, has two more years of arbitration eligibility before he can become a free agent.
¡°If you didn't bring that up, I would probably not even remember that in this moment right now,¡± Chisholm had said on Thursday when asked about being involved in trade rumors. ¡°I feel like when I'm here, I'm here to do my job and do what I do. Baseball is baseball. I love playing baseball, so I'm going to go out there and love playing the sport every day.
"The trade rumors are never going to be on my mind. You hear the fans chirping, like, 'Hey, can you come here? Hey, can you come here?' everywhere you go, but at the end of the day, you play baseball. It's a business. And if you get traded, you've just got to deal with it. But if not, I would love to stay in Miami. This is home for me.¡±
With Chisholm's departure, rookie Xavier Edwards will take over the leadoff spot. Nick Gordon -- who started in center field on Saturday -- and Vidal Bruj¨¢n will split duties at the position.