Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. open to 3B; Gleyber Torres balks at move

ByABC News
July 29, 2024, 11:09 AM

Jazz Chisholm Jr. says he is open to playing third base for the New York Yankees, adding that he "could go and play anywhere and help my team win."

Gleyber Torres, on the other hand, did not sound as receptive to moving to the hot corner.

With a looming surplus of outfielders on their roster, the Yankees will turn to Chisholm, who was acquired Saturday in a trade with the Miami Marlins, for infield help.

On Monday night at the Philadelphia Phillies, Chisholm was in the starting lineup at third base while Torres was at second.

Chisholm primarily played second base for the Marlins before moving to center field last season. But with Torres already a mainstay at second base, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he wants Chisholm to learn how to play third base.

"I could go and play anywhere and help my team win," Chisholm told reporters after Sunday's victory over the Red Sox. "For me, it's just going somewhere. Especially a winning team, and they're asking me to go somewhere to help them win? I'm definitely gonna go out there and do it."

Torres has committed 13 errors this season -- the most in the majors for a second baseman -- but did not seem as excited at the prospect of playing third base.

"I'm a second baseman, so I play second," Torres told reporters.

Torres, who is in the final year of his contract with the Yankees, has not played third base since a brief stint at the position in the minor leagues in 2018. The two-time All-Star responded, "I don't like it," when asked about playing third base, but he acknowledged he has discussed the topic with Boone.

"We had a conversation. Everything is still on the table," Torres said. "I think in a couple of days, I'm going to take some grounders at third, just in case, [so] I'm just kind of ready for anything."

Boone said he is "a little reluctant" to play Torres at third and noted that Chisholm, who also played shortstop for the Marlins, is the more versatile defender.

"I want him to start working there," Boone said. "It's not something he's played, obviously. [He] came up as a shortstop -- feel like he has the skill set to do it. I know he's open to doing it, but I want to see how that looks."