As it has been stated many times in many places, putting together a good bullpen is one of the toughest asks in all of sport. However, the New York Yankees made it look very easy yesterday with the acquisition of Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. The Bronx Bombers sent four mid-tier minor leaguers to the Reds to bring the fireballing southpaw into the fold.
The Yankees’ addition of the four time All-Star was only able to occur because another team, the Dodgers, passed on doing so. During negotiations between the Reds and Dodgers, news arose that Chapman was under investigation for domestic violence in Florida. The deal, which was rumored to include top 10 infield prospect Jose Peraza, was left in limbo as speculation created a vortex of uncertainty about where and when Chapman would play in 2016. Police deemed that there was “insufficient evidence” to file formal charges on the reliever, yet MLB has launched their own inquiry which led to the initial deal being nixed.
Even with a potential suspension looming, Aroldis Chapman was shopped more than ever by the rebuilding Reds. They traded All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier to the White Sox two weeks ago. They are jumping over countless hurdles to deal Brandon Phillips. GM Dick Williams is still trying his damnedest to rid himself of Jay Bruce. Chapman was the next shoe to drop. With plenty of teams looking to pounce in the wake of LA’s moral dilemma, it was just a matter of time.
Though they may have to wait until MLB’s investigation is over, the insertion of Aroldis Chapman into an already scary Yankees bullpen is a game changer. In terms of intimidation and overall “scariness”, the pinstripers just added Jason to Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers. New York now has the top three men in K/9 pitching their final three innings. Chapman heads the list at 15.74 followed. Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances weren’t far behind at 14.59 and 14.04 respectively. The incumbent Yankees closer Miller was the only one of the three not to be named an All-Star last year. The Mariano Rivera Award as the AL’s best reliever probably more than made up for that slight.
It isn’t just the astronomical strikeout rate that makes Chapman such an appealing bullpen supplement. Even when batters make contact, it didn’t go very far. Only 16% of his 43 total hits allowed last year went for extra bases. Only 1.1% of those left the yard entirely. Those are amazing numbers to see going from one hitter’s park in Cincinnati to another in the Bronx.
An underlying fact at the moment is also what relatively little the Yankees gave up in the trade. Third baseman Eric Jagielo, New York’s sixth ranked prospect, may be the crown jewel of the haul. He’s a power hitting third baseman, something Cincinnati needs with Frazier being traded. He has dealt with injuries though in the minors which have limited him to just 205 games across all levels in three years. Right hander Rookie Davis (#10 in their farm system) got banged around in Double-A, but showed control that may fast track him through the ranks in 2016. The other two, pitcher Caleb Cotham and infielder Tony Renda, shouldn’t factor into Cincy’s future plans.
Chapman is a free agent after 2016. However, his suspension could throw a wrinkle into those proceedings. If he is inactive for more than 45 days due to that action, New York’s calendar of control will get another year on it. This deal is a win in so many ways for the Yankees. Pressure is lessened on a piecework staff with three stud stoppers at the back. Miller can get more days off down the stretch, something that Joe Girardi wasn’t able to do in 2015. The daunting lineups of Toronto and Boston seem less so with such a punishing trio that could be utilized at any time late in games. GM Brian Cashman says that the Chapman deal isn’t the first push of closer dominoes. Get your radar guns primed.