Hey Jazz Chisholm Jr., did you know that you have the most at-bats of any Yankee against Gregory Soto?
“Yeah,” Chisholm says, standing in the Yankee dugout Friday afternoon. “And probably the least amount of hits.”
Well, tied for the least, with zero. But Chisholm is a very nice person, and is willing to provide a scouting report on the Mets’ newest acquisition.
The Mets acquired Soto on Friday from Baltimore for a pair of minor leaguers. It was the first of what will almost certainly be multiple trades to improve the bullpen.
Soto, 30, has a 3.96 earned run average this season. A hard sinker highlights his repertoire. He is known for both strikeouts and walks. Chisholm knows from firsthand experience how nasty he can be.
“You don’t have to tell me the numbers,” Chisholm said of Soto. “I bet I know. Oh for thirteen?”
Well, 0-for-10 with six strikeouts. So what makes Soto so tough? He’s a sinker/slider guy, right?
“Sinker, slider, cutter, sweeper, all of those,” Chisholm says. “He throws everything. For me, I feel like when he faces me, he doesn’t really miss down the middle.”
Chisholm pauses for a moment. “I thought we were going to trade for him, I don’t know.”
Chisholm is told that the Yankees are likely to add multiple relievers before next weekend’s deadline. He says that he knows.
He concludes: “I like [Soto] as a pitcher a lot. For me, he’s one of the best pitchers.”
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