Could this longtime rival fit into the Yankees’ future plans?

Could the New York Yankees make a good fit for long-time rival Alex Bregman this offseason?

On Thursday, Jon Heyman explored this possibility in an article published by the New York Post. The MLB insider suggested a path for the Yankees to add the two-time All-Star third baseman to their roster in 2025 and beyond.

“Jazz Chisholm Jr. could move into second place [base]where he has Gold Glove caliber,” Heyman wrote.

Since joining the Yankees at the trade deadline, the 26-year-old Chisholm has played third base in all but one of his 44 games after previously manning center field for the Miami Marlins. Moving to a new position came with challenges, as Chisholm had no major league experience at third base before arriving in New York.

As of Friday, Chisholm has a .939 fielding percentage at the hot corner, with 35 putouts, 72 assists, seven errors and -2 defensive runs saved over 382.1 innings. In contrast, he has saved seven defensive runs in 1,330.1 career innings at second base, which is clearly his strongest position. However, that spot is currently occupied by Gleyber Torres, who like Bregman is expected to become a free agent this winter.

Bregman is now a consistently strong defensive third baseman. As of 2022, he ranks sixth among MLB players at his position and second in the American League with +16 Outs Above Average (OAA).

Bregman’s impact goes beyond his defense. In 144 games this season, he has posted a slash line of .256/.313/.447. In the current Yankees lineup, he would rank fourth in home runs (26), third in RBIs (74), third in wRC+ (115), and fourth in OPS (.760). .

From a baseball perspective, Bregman, who wears No. 2 in honor of Derek Jeter, would be a great fit for the Yankees, as he brings a winning pedigree with two World Series rings and a .941 OPS in his last 24 postseason games . However, he is a polarizing figure among Yankees fans, having been a member during the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal and having been instrumental in eliminating New York from the ALCS three times in his nine-year career.

Bregman, who turns 31 next March, is in the final year of his five-year, $100 million extension with Houston. While the Astros are interested in keeping him, Heyman noted that the two teams were “far apart” on a contract last spring. Astros manager Joe Espada gave Bregman a hero’s sendoff at the team’s final home game of the regular season, indicating that it could mark the end of his tenure in Houston.

The Yankees’ potential pursuit of Bregman will almost certainly be influenced by outfielder Juan Soto’s free-agent negotiations. The soon-to-be 26-year-old is expected to celebrate a historic payday after a record-breaking year alongside AL MVP front-runner Aaron Judge in the Bronx.