Miami Marlins coach believes Jazz Chisholm can go to the outfield and excel: “Good enough to do whatever he wants”
Jazz Chisholm is an infielder for the Miami Marlins by trade, but he very well may be transitioning to the outfield for the 2023 season. Former MLB outfielder and current Marlins assistant Jon Jay believes the transition will be seamless.
He told The Athletic:
"The highlight of this is him wanting to do it. He’s the type of player who is good enough to do whatever he wants in this game. He can dominate any position. But this says a lot about him, making this change for the betterment of the team."
Chisholm volunteered to move to center field. He told the front office that if they weren't able to land a center fielder in the offseason, he would move out there. Not only that, he promised a Gold Glove season.
In his major league career, he's never played anywhere but second base and shortstop. He's logged over 1,300 innings at second base and over 300 at shortstop for the Marlins.
He's been a solid defender there. Over those 1,300 innings at second base, Chisholm has seven defensive runs saved. He was a considerably worse defender at shortstop, with -4 in far fewer innings.
Transitioning to the outfield will be tough, especially for a true infielder. Winning a Gold Glove there will also be tough, but the Marlins' staff believe their young star will be able to do it. He's willing to give it a try at the very least.
What does the Miami Marlins lineup look like with Jazz Chisholm in the outfield?
The Miami Marlins acquired Luis Arraez from the Minnesota Twins, which made their infield a little more crowded. That, combined with a lack of outfield depth, has pushed Jazz Chisholm to the outfield.
Here's what their lineup could look like next year:
- Luis Arraez, 2B
- Jean Segura, SS
- Jazz Chisholm, CF
- Garrett Cooper, 1B
- Avisail Garcia, RF
- Jorge Soler, DH
- Joey Wendle, 3B
- Bryan De La Cruz, LF
- Jacob Stallings, C
It's not a dominant lineup, but it is much deeper and more talented than the one they fielded last year. It will be interesting to see how well Chisholm can man the outfield.