Since returning to the Yankees following a monthlong stay on the injured list due to an oblique strain, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has appeared in 29 games and played third base in every single one of them. The versatile infielder/outfielder recently voiced a team-first approach saying he’ll play anywhere but noted that his preference is second base. That shift is now in the works, as manager Aaron Boone tells Talkin’ Yanks that Chisholm will move back to second base beginning tonight. Oswald Peraza will play third base this evening, Boone adds.
It’s a notable change both in that it sets the Yankees up for a better defensive alignment while also potentially tipping their hand with regard to the looming trade deadline. Chisholm has been a capable but unspectacular defender at the hot corner. He grades out more effectively at second base. Peraza hasn’t hit at all this season but draws strong defensive marks for his glovework at the hot corner. Meanwhile, veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu has provided slightly below-average offense and diminished defense at second base (particularly relative to his brilliant peak). He hasn’t logged an inning at third base this year.
The Yankees are widely expected to search for infield help (among other things) ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. While it’s always possible they bring in another second baseman and move Chisholm back to third base, the early shift back to his more natural position seems to signal a preference for Chisholm to remain there. Boone acknowledged that his preference is to keep Chisholm at second base for now and avoid a situation where he’s bouncing back and forth between the two positions. A third base upgrade stands as a more natural target as the Yankees peruse the trade market.
The Yanks have already been connected to Colorado’s Ryan McMahon and Pittsburgh’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa (a former Yankee), among other possible third base targets. Presumably, they would be prominent suitors for Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez if he’s made available, but the D-backs are on the periphery of the NL Wild Card chase and GM Mike Hazen has signaled that he hopes to avoid a sell-off. Their direction — and the availability of players like Suárez, Zac Gallen, Josh Naylor and Merrill Kelly — will largely boil down to how the Diamondbacks perform over the next couple weeks.
It’s not clear in the interim how the Yankees will handle third base. Boone committed only to Peraza playing there tonight and said that otherwise the position will “remain fluid,” with Chisholm sticking over at second base. LeMahieu has plenty of career experience at the hot corner but has been exclusively a second baseman in 2025. Peraza is a strong defender there but has just a .154/.225/.262 batting line, albeit in a relatively small sample of 142 plate appearances and with sporadic, infrequent playing time. Oswaldo Cabrera is still out long-term due to a broken ankle. Jorbit Vivas played a bit of third base earlier this season but is back in Triple-A and in the midst of a rough slump there (.175/.309/.211 across his past 15 games).
The Yankees have also brought in a couple of veterans on non-roster deals over the past week. Jeimer Candelario was a quality offensive performer in four years with the Tigers before becoming a free agent in the 2023-24 offseason. His three-year, $45MM deal with the Reds didn’t pan out at all, and Cincinnati released him on June 29. Candelario signed with the Yankees over the weekend. On the other side of the spectrum, Nicky Lopez is an all-glove utilityman with the versatility to handle shortstop, second base or third base. He opted out of a minor league deal with the D-backs on July 1 and signed with the Yankees a couple days later.