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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 likely face a return to the infield for Chisholm, who was acquired Saturday in a trade with the Miami Marlins.
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, potentially as early as Monday.
“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.”
Chisholm could see regular playing time in the infield as early as this week, when the Yankees are expected to activate Giancarlo Stanton from the injured list and add the slugger to an outfield-designated hitter rotation that already includes Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo.
Chisholm will work with infield coach Travis Chapman on third base, where struggling DJ LeMahieu has been the Yankees’ primary starter.
“I feel like I’m a really good infielder,” Chisholm said. “So I just feel like I just gotta go over there and catch the ball.”