ANALYTICAL: WHY YANKEES ARE TRADING JAZZ CHISHOLM JR DESPITE SILVER SLUGGER SEASON
An analytical look at Brian Cashman's hints: The Yankees are willing to trade Jazz Chisholm Jr. to clear payroll space and acquire a right-handed bat, despite his Silver Slugger credentials.
Yankees Might Trade Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The New York Yankees haven't been busy this offseason, but a big move could be coming.
While the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles, and Rays have all made additions, the Yankees haven't. There's pressure on them to keep up with their rivals in the division, but the Yankees might actually trade away a player.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Yankees are hearing trade offers for Jazz Chisholm Jr., as other teams are interested.
Passan said that some second basemen are likely to be traded, and the Yankees are listening to offers for Chisholm Jr.
Trading Chisholm would be surprising because he’s a key player for New York. He starts at second base, so if the Yankees trade him, they'd need to find a good replacement.
Chisholm is under team control through 2026 and then can become a free agent. Last season with the Yankees, he batted .242 with 31 home runs and 80 RBIs. He’s also a two-time All-Star.
Yankees GM Suggests Chisholm Trade
Even though Chisholm has been a solid player for the Yankees, they might trade him this offseason.
At the Winter Meetings, when asked about Chisholm, Cashman said he’s important but also hinted that the team is open to trading him, saying they have to consider all options.
Cashman said that Chisholm has improved the team with his skills, but also noted that the team has a lot of left-handed hitters.
So, they're willing to consider anything.
Chisholm won the Silver Slugger Award in 2025.
Chisholm Expected to Get a Raise
New York might trade Chisholm because he’s due for a raise.
He’s in his last year of team control, and MLBTradeRumors estimates he’ll get $10.2 million in arbitration this year.
The Yankees have suggested they don’t have as much money to spend this offseason, which could influence a possible trade.
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said that it would be good if they could lower the payroll, but that doesn’t mean it will happen.
In 2025, the Yankees had the fourth-highest payroll.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER
The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.
The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.
And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.
All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.
There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.
Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.
KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY
The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.
Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.
This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.
Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.
“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”
Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.
Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.
“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”
Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.
Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.
“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”
Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.
“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”