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Why the Yankees Actually Traded for the Troubled Aroldis Chapman

By Michael Cambria |

Yesterday’s blockbuster trade that brought Aroldis Chapman over to the Bronx was certainly dynamic, but it wasn’t ideal. The Yankees didn’t acquire the young and controllable starting pitcher that they so desperately needed, but instead, they acquired one of the best closers in baseball who is unfortunately facing a lengthy suspension in 2016 over reports of domestic violence and abuse that leaked a few months back.

But, as lopsided as that might all seem, the Yankees were presented with a deal that they simply count not refuse.

So, the New York Yankees pulled off the most Evil-Empire-esque move of the off-season and completed the Chapman deal with the Cincinnati Reds for a number of reasons:

  1. This is New York City and the New York Media. If anyone can take this sort of Public Relations hit it’s the New York Yankees. The same Yankees who signed Daryl Strawberry in 1996 after he was suspended by the MLB in the beginning of the ’95 season for his involvement in cocaine use. The same Yankees who were repeatedly mentioned in the 2007 Mitchell Report and the same Yankees who dealt with Alex Rodriguez and the ‘Biogenesis’ scandal. Aroldis Chapman will be suspended by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, but once his suspension is up, Chapman will don the pinstripes and his past will long be forgotten one 100-mph strikeout at a time.
  2. The addition of Chapman gives the Yankees perhaps their best bullpen since the dog days of 1998 when they had the likes of Mariano Rivera, Ramiro Mendoza, Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton and Grame Lloyd who all helped the Yankees to a major league record 125 wins and their 1998 World Series Title. Now, Chapman will join Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances, who finished 1-2-3 in strikeouts per nine innings in 2015, and who’s to say they aren’t potentially the best bullpen in baseball history?
  3. Perhaps Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner finally realized that no one wants Brett Gardner or Ivan Nova, who aside from Andrew Miller were their only realistic trade chips to acquire young and controllable starting pitching. If their rotation remains the same for the 2016 season, the bullpen trio of Betances, Miller and Chapman will certainly give the Yankees enough insurance to cover their sub-par pitching rotation – similar to the Kansas City Royals of recent past.
  4. The addition of the 27-year old Cuban Missile Crisis in Aroldis Chapman gave Brian Cashman the opportunity to shut the media up and overwrite the off season narrative of the Yankees not spending any money and ‘saving for 2018.’
  5. The Yankees were simply offered a deal that couldn’t be refused. They surrendered four minor leaguers; the oft-injured Eric Jagielo, second base prospect Tony Renda, and two right handers in Caleb Cotham and Rookie Davis who failed to produce in 2015 under the spotlight in order to bring Chapman over to the Bronx. The Reds were so desperate to deal their fallen star that they didnt even ask for any of the Yankees top prospects in their trade package.

It’s no secret that Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees were trying to create a super-pen for months. Dating back to last years trade deadline in July the Yankees were heavily involved in the Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel sweepstakes. In return both the Reds or Padres wanted a package that included one of Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez or Jorge Mateo.

The Red Sox jumped the gun and overpaid on Kimbrel earlier this winter.

The Yankees remained patient and things eventually fell into place.

Sure it required a little bit of luck and a little bit of misfortune on Chapman’s part, but when all was said and done the Yankees managed to acquire the games best reliever at minimal cost, especially compared to the other crazy trades we’ve seen this winter for relief pitchers. Sure Chapman will serve a lengthy suspension that might be between 25 and 50 games, but when he returns the Yankees will have the best bullpen in the major leagues by far.

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