MLB analyst Paul Hembekides predicted that Jazz Chisholm Jr. could leave the New York Yankees and sign with an AL West team on a two-year, $50 million contract on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” podcast on Sunday.

Chisholm’s 2026 postseason ended in disappointment after the Yankees were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series. He entered October following a regular season in which he batted .231 with 19 home runs and 41 stolen bases, but struggled to maintain that level of play in the playoffs.

The second baseman is now a free agent after the Yankees decided not to extend him a $23.15 million qualifying offer. With the organization reportedly considering changes to its infield, Chisholm could be headed to a new team in 2027. The infielder had set his sights on an eight- to 10-year contract worth around $35 million annually, but his inconsistent season could affect his market value.

On the podcast, Hembekides predicted that Chisholm could secure a short-term deal with the Angels:

“Jazz Chisholm, I’ve got him going to the Angels. Two years, $50 million is what I wrote down. It’s a really good environment for him because I think it’s fairly low stakes with a chance to rebuild his value. Maybe it’s a one plus one where he can opt out. I view him as a NINE-FIGURE player, but he didn’t play like it last year. I think he makes a whole lot of sense to play second base for the Angels,” Hembekides said.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. appeared in four postseason games this year. His strongest offensive performance came in the wild-card series against the Boston Red Sox, when he went 2-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases.

However, he struggled against the Rays in the ALDS, going hitless in eight at-bats across the three-game series. After making costly defensive mistakes in Game 2, he was also left out of the starting lineup by manager Aaron Boone for the series-ending Game 3.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. weighed in on the Yankees’ early postseason exit

Following the Yankees’ Game 3 defeat to the Rays on Oct. 7, Jazz Chisholm Jr. spoke to YES Network reporters.

“It’s sad. It’s the last day of the season. Nobody wants it to be the last day. … We lost, and now we have to wait four months to get back in there. So, it sucks. It’s very frustrating; you can see it on my face,” Chisholm said.

He added:

“You can see it on everybody else’s face that we are not happy and nobody wants to go home. And you have to go home and think about it for another four months until the season starts up again.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr. finished the 2026 postseason with a .182 batting average, recording two hits in 11 at-bats, along with two runs across four games.