This CONFIRMS what we already knew...

October 7th, Game 3 of the ALDS, the Yankees are down two games to none against Tampa, one loss from going home, and Aaron Boone takes Jazz Chisholm Jr. out of the lineup. When reporters asked why, here's what he said. I just felt like it. I felt like I wanted to go with him today. The Yankees lost that night, 4-3, swept, and two weeks later, Boone is openly talking about who plays second base next year, and it is not Jazz. And honestly, I think that benching told us everything that we need to know, and it confirms what we all already knew. Now, you don't sit a guy in an elimination game in front of your own fans unless you've already started picturing next year without him. So today, I'm going to show you the plan. Luis Garcia and Anthony Volpe, the one stat that makes the plan scary and why the guy who just had the one of the rarest seasons in Yankees history is probably already gone. But before we get into it, if you want every Yankees story broken down like this, the numbers, the receipts, the stuff nobody else is talking about, hit subscribe. We're at 3,062 subscribers right now, and I want to get this channel to 14,000, so hit the button, it's completely free, and let's get there before this year ends. Let's start with what the Yankees are walking away from, because people forget, the Yankees traded for Jazz in July of 2024, and he was a spark plug from day one. In 46 games that year, he had 11 home runs and stole 18 bases. And remember, they asked him to play third base that year, a position he'd never played in the majors, and he still had an .825 OPS in pinstripes. Then in 2025, 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases. A 30-30 season. Here's how rare that is. In the entire history of the New York Yankees, going back into the early 1900s, only three players have ever had a 30 homer, 30 steals season. Bobby Bonds in 1975, and Alfonso Soriano twice in 2002 and 2003, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Not Mickey Mantle, not Derek Jeter, not Alex Rodriguez. Three guys ever in Yankees history. And even this year, in what probably is called a down season, he led the American League with 41 stolen bases. And Sports Illustrated has him at a 3.5 wins above replacement because his defensive base running were that good. Over the last two seasons combined, his 7.8 wins above replacement trailed only two second basemen in the league, Bryce Durang and Nico Horner. Add it all up, and as a Yankee, Jazz played 313 regular season games with 61 home runs and 90 stolen bases in about two and a half seasons. that's the guy who got benched in an elimination game so what happened to put it bluntly his bat fell off a cliff his ops went from .813 in 2025 to .711 in 2026 his batting average was a .231 the lowest of any full season in his career and his home runs dropped from 31 to 19 and it wasn't bad luck per the Athletic and the New York Times it was his worst offensive season by weighted runs created plus since 2021, and his contact quality numbers were the lowest of his career. His weighted runs created plus was a 98. That means he was slightly below an average league hitter in a lineup that needed him to be a weapon. Under the hood, it gets worse. Per Baseball Savant, his expected weighted on base average was a 294, which puts him in the 16th percentile of hitters. His whiff was in the 13th percentile, and his strikeout rate was in the 9th. He was swinging through a lot of pitches then the playoffs two for nine before Boone sat him and in a season where they're down two games to none the manager decided he'd rather go with a man and Anthony Volpe who had not even been with the team as he was in the minors for a stretch this year and the worst part for Jazz in that game three Volpe hit what looked like a two run home run and it got taken away because of a fan interference so even the moment that could have made Boone go away with that Volpe decision, the Yankees still lost, and the season was over. So, who plays second base? This week, Aaron Boone told ESPN Network that Luis Garcia Jr. could get some time at second base next year, and he didn't rule out third base either. And earlier this month, Boone told The Athletic's Brendan Cody, obviously he's an infielder in his past, feel like that could even be in play, moving forwards in the coming years. Here's where they want his bat in the lineup. The Yankees got Garcia from Washington at the deadline for four pitching prospects, and across both teams this year. He had 30 home runs with an 830 OPS. In Washington, before the trade, it was 23 homers and an 873 OPS in 104 games. Those 23 home runs and 76 RBIs with Washington were both career highs, and he did it before the end of July. That's the version of Garcia the Yankees traded for. The question is whether that guy shows up in the Bronx for a full season. The catch? With the Yankees, it was only a 736 OPS in 43 games and first base is taken. Ben Rice is expected to start there and the DH spot is needed for Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge who's battling an injury and if Garcia's bat is going to play every day it has to play somewhere in the infield and that's what brings us to the stat that makes this scary. Garcia played more than 4,000 innings at second base for Washington and over that time he was 29 runs below average by defensive runs saved and 18 outs below average by Statcast. Washington moved to the first base because of that this year. To be fair to Garcia he's been fine at first base this year he had two runs above average by defensive runs saved and three outs above average there so the Yankees have seen him take to a new spot second base is just a much harder job compared to Jazz who's been 28 outs above average at second for his career including 13 this year alone so that's where Volpe comes in Volpe is the glove he learned second base in the minors and played it when Jazz went down with his thumb injury. Boone stated that right there, that's why Aaron Boone was going to start Anthony Volpe in an elimination game. There's also Jose Caballero, who MLB trade rumors points out is probably a better defender than Garcia, but like Volpe, hasn't hit enough to be an everyday answer. But Volpe hasn't hit at all. Coming back from shoulder surgery, he hit .245 with a .657 OPS and two home runs in 70 games this year, and that's not new. In four of his big league seasons, his OPS has been under a 670. So the plan is basically this. A bat that can't field and a glove that can't hit. Sharing the job Jazz Chisholm did by himself, but not effectively this past season. Now, Jazz is a free agent once the World Series ends, and the Yankees are going to have one decision to make first. Whether to give him the qualifying offer, a one-year deal worth $23.1 million. The New York Post's John Heyman has already questioned whether he's worth that, and MLB.com's Mark Feinsend reported quote the feeling within the industry is that New York is ready to move on from him not everyone agrees Sports Illustrated's site argued that the Yankees should bring him back on a short high salary deal and an opt-out after 2027 a proven year basically but if he does leave he won't be short on teams mlb.com lists the Padres, the Reds and the Angels as fits and Bleacher Report likes the Mariners as a fit and Jazz he wants to stay after the season ended he said i grew up a Yankee fan, being from the Bahamas, watching Derek Jeter. I loved my time as a Yankee, and that's what makes this hard. This guy wants to be here. He's one of three 30-30 Yankees ever in the franchise's entire history, and the team is lining up two flawed players to replace him. So here's my take. I get it. Jazz's bat fell off, and the Yankees are betting that Garcia's .873 OPS in Washington is real, but Jazz is still worth 3.5 wins this year in his worst season, and because of his glove and because of his legs he will be worth that again Garcia at second base gives a lot of that back on defense and Volpe still has to prove he could hit and think about the Yankees and what they're actually saying here they're saying a guy is worth 61 home runs and 90 steals in a Yankees uniform is the problem and a first baseman who's never been good at second plus a shortstop who's never posted a .700 plus OPS is the solution that's a big bet on the bouncing back for one guy and the bat showing up for the first place if i'm the yankees i'm not gonna let jazz walk for nothing at the minimum they should consider giving him the qualifying offer i'm not gonna go and say that he should get it but they should certainly consider it because guys honestly i do like jazz a lot I think he's a good vibe for this team I think the energy that he brings to the team is very good at the same time I don't think the Yankees are gonna be willing to spend a ton of money on second base I don't rule out that Brian Cashman's gonna go big fish hunting this year. In fact, I kind of think he will, but at the same time of things, I don't mind if they do end up moving on from him as well. They should not overpay for Jazz. If they can get him on a two-year deal that's not crazy, like a two-year $40 million contract, which is below his qualifying offer, and I don't think he's getting $23 million per year, I would do it. I honestly would. Buy to your time. If it's not working, that is a tradable contract the Yankees can move on from, especially if they give him an opt-out in 2027. Honestly, that's a deal I would do. Anything past that though length or financially I would not I would focus on third base and just hope that Anthony Volpe can figure it out at second if you really can't if it's really a problem that's as big as Ryan McMahon was at third base this season or if Luis Garcia can't handle it then yeah let's move on let's make a trade let's figure it out midway through the season I'm trying to be realistic here I know some people are going to hate this idea but let's be real we know the Yankees are not going to spend a ton of money on both second and third this offseason they're much more likely to make a trade for someone but guys tell me in the comments who should be playing second base for the Yankees on opening day next year. Luis Garcia, Anthony Volpe, do you want to bring Jazz back? Is there someone else like a Luis or Rice you would like to see? Thanks for watching Yankees Digest. I'll see you in the next one. Like this video, subscribe, turn on post notifications. Have a great day, and go Yankees.