Chapman and Beltran Open to Reuniting with Yankees

Although the Yankees dealt Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran at the trade deadline, both veterans are open to re-signing with New York after the season.

Given the prospect hauls they received in return, trading Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran before the August 1st trade deadline was absolutely the right move. The Yankees landed six promising prospects in return for the two veterans, as well as controllable MLB reliever Adam Warren.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that one or both of those players couldn’t be a fit to help the 2017 Yankees. Beltran and Chapman will both be free agents following the season, and could help fill an area of weakness on next year’s club while costing just money.

Having at least two elite late-inning relievers has been a hallmark of New York Yankees clubs over the last decade or two. With so many top relief arms available this winter, expect the Yankees to be in the market to add at least one of them.

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Kenley Jansen, Mark Melancon, and Chapman are the cream this offseason’s free agent crop. Chapman will probably land the largest commitment given his status as the preeminent reliever, which may turn off the cost-conscious Yankees.

For his part, Aroldis Chapman seemed to love his stint in the Bronx. Despite the controversy that surrounded him, he was a model citizen with the Yankees. Before the deadline, Chapman said a trade would not impact his willingness to resign with New York either.

The 2017 Yankees are also lacking proven power hitters in the middle of their order. As things currently stand, unproven youngsters Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Greg Bird will be relied on to drive the offense.

With Alex Rodriguez unlikely to hold onto the regular designated hitter role next year, the Yankees could look for a proven bat on the market to slot in at DH. One of the better values on the market may be Carlos Beltran, who likely won’t require a large salary for his age-40 season despite a strong performance this year.

Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reports that Beltran would also be happy to return to the Bronx if the team were interested.

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While both Beltran and Chapman could clearly provide a boost for the 2017 Yankees, the club may ultimately be better served by using those roster spots to play some of their promising young stars and continue their rebuild. Still, it’s nice that the door remains open to reunite with these former Yankees if the team chooses to.