The Marlins and outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. went to an arbitration hearing with the arbiters siding with the club, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The outfielder will make a salary of $2.625MM this year instead of the $2.9MM that he and his representatives were seeking.
It’s an unwelcome birthday present for Chisholm, who turns 26 years old today. He’s now played parts of four big league seasons, showcasing incredible talent but also having trouble staying on the field. He’s appeared in 302 games, hitting 53 home runs and slashing .245/.304/.452 for a wRC+ of 103. He’s also stolen 59 bases in 77 tries. His defense has been a mixed bag as he has been moved around the diamond to suit the club’s roster needs.
But health has been an ongoing issue, particularly in the past two years. A stress fracture in his back limited him to just 60 contests in 2022, while a turf toe injury to his right foot and then a left oblique strain capped him at 97 games last year.
Despite that missed time, MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a salary of $2.8MM this year, his first time qualifying for arbitration. He and the club couldn’t come to an agreement, with each filing a proposed figure just barely on each side of the projection. Arbiters can’t choose a middle ground figure and must choose one or the other, opting for the club’s number in this case.
The decision won’t have a huge impact on the Marlins in 2024, given the narrow gap between the two numbers. But it could lead to some modest savings in the next two years since Chisholm’s future arbitration raises will be calculated from a lower starting point. For Chisholm, that will give him a bit less earning power as he approaches free agency.
The Marlins still have two players with undetermined salaries for this year. Infielder Luis Arráez filed at $12MM with the Marlins at $10.6MM, while reliever Tanner Scott requested a $5.7MM salary as the team filed at $5.15MM.
