Jazz Chisholm is making the move to centerfield for the 2023 season. This announcement came from the Miami Marlins this past Friday. He will move from second base following their acquisition of Luis Arraez from the Minnesota Twins.
Middle Infielder
Chisholm has never played anywhere but second base or shortstop since he was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as an international free agent in July of 2015. Considered a fielder with great range, and great speed, he played 200 of 207 games in MiLB at shortstop. In the big leagues, he made 154 starts at second base, and 37 at shortstop.
The Reason for the Move
People may be wondering why he is making the move to centerfield? With Arraez taking over at second, and the recently signed Jean Segura playing at third base, it appears that super utility player Joey Wendle will play shortstop on a regular basis. Thus, they’ll need help in the outfield.
Also, the Marlins have two infield prospects, ranked No. 9 and 10 in their farm system. Both could get plenty of action during spring training to see if they are ready for the big leagues. Recent acquisitions Jordan Groshans, and Jacob Amaya have decent mobility, and the strong arm needed to play shortstop.
Bryan De La Cruz
Jazz Chisholm moving to centerfield means that Bryan De La Cruz can move to left field on a full-time basis. De La Cruz has a lot of potential, and left field is a much better defensive position for him. It will be interesting to see how much better he can be playing a better defensive position based on his ability.
It also means Jorge Soler, who isn’t known as a defensive outfielder, can be that Marlins’ DH full-time. If he stay healthy, he could be more productive with his bat since he won’t be playing the outfield on a daily basis. A healthy Soler will go a long way towards a potential playoff run for the Marlins.
Outlook
Chisholm is a very athletic player. He will be taking on the centerfield position on-the-fly during the upcoming season. He will only get about six weeks of spring training action to familiarize himself with his new position. However, the Marlins believe that his playing there will not be a problem.
With their signings and acquisitions during the offseason, things are looking much better for the Marlins then they did just a few months ago. If Chisholm translates his infield range and speed into being a good defensive center fielder, this young team has a chance to surprise everyone in 2023.
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