Yankees: Does Zack Britton return signal Aroldis Chapman trade?

The Yankees investing in Zack Britton could mean Aroldis Chapman is on the way out.

It’s definitely still a long shot given what we’re already seeing just days into the MLB offseason, but the New York Yankees could still find a way to trade Aroldis Chapman, and that was further made a possibility after the team picked up Zack Britton’s 2022 contract option.

The left-hander will now be with the team for the next two seasons and will earn $27 million over that span, which now brings into question Chapman’s status since he’ll make $32 million across that same two-year period. Chapman once again blew it for the Yankees in the postseason and it’s safe to say most fans don’t really want him back.

Now, with Britton returning for that much money coupled with the fact he’s very much capable of closing games, could Brian Cashman begin more aggressively exploring Chapman trade scenarios?

If New York is concerned about lost profits after a disastrous 2020 and also need to upgrade certain areas of the roster to improve their contender status for 2021 and beyond, how can they justify paying Chapman that much money when he’s proven to be unreliable when the team needs him most?

Manager Aaron Boone brought him in to try and preserve a tie in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the ALDS and he blew it by surrendering a solo home run to a bench player in the eighth. Fans complained that calling upon Chapman that early was the wrong move. But in case you forgot, he logged a three-inning save for the Cubs back in 2016.

https://twitter.com/CubsZone/status/1322199219231428609?s=20

And one could say that was really his only “clutch” playoff moment of his career. He allowed six earned runs in 13 appearances during that World Series run with the Cubs and nearly blew Game 7 of the Fall Classic. Do the Yankees really feel his inability to get it done in October is an asset to their championship blueprint?

Cashman said he trusts the left-hander, but when looking at the payroll, Chapman’s $16 million salary is easily the most onerous considering he appears in a fraction of games as the team’s closer and doesn’t pitch at the same level when the stakes are high.

If the Bombers are looking to save money, look no further than offloading Chapman’s contract after the team made it official with their investment in Britton. It’ll likely have to be in some sort of a salary-matching deal since we doubt many other GMs would want to inherit a closer for that much money, but maybe another team desperately needs back-end bullpen security and wouldn’t hesitate to acquire the All-Star reliever.

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