Jack Curry of YES Network first reported that the Reds were close to sending Aroldis Chapman to the New York Yankees.
Source: Yankees are on the verge of acquiring Aroldis Chapman from the Reds.
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) December 28, 2015
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com had the exact details of the deal.
Yankees have acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Reds for RHPs Caleb Cotham and Rookie Davis and INFs Eric Jagielo and Tony Renda.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) December 28, 2015
Chapman, 27, has spent six years in the majors since coming over from Cuba. Chapman – known for his ability to consistently touch 100 MPH – has been one of the most dominating closers in baseball over the past four seasons. He has a 162 game average of 67 IP, 31 saves, a 2.17 ERA, and 115 Ks. Chapman has reached four consecutive All-Star games since taking over as the Reds full-time closer. According to Baseball Reference, the most similar pitches to Chapman through age 27 are Kenley Jansen and Billy Wagner – not bad company.
With the Reds entering full-on rebuilding mode, Chapman became expendable- especially because he is eligible for free agency in 2017. The Reds nearly traded Chapman to the Dodgers earlier this offseason, but talks stalled when reports surfaced that Chapman had been involved in a domestic dispute.
It appears that the Yankees were not scared off by Chapman’s off-field issues, and Joel Sherman noted that the Yankees do expect some kind of of discipline to be handed down by MLB.
#Yankees do anticipate that Chapman will deal with some kind of suspension for domestic abuse allegations #Reds
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 28, 2015
Nevertheless, the Yankees have formed a three-headed monster with Dellin Betances, Chapman, and Andrew Miller manning the back of the Yankees bullpen. Andrew Simon of MLB.com shows just how dominate the trio is.
Highest K% in MLB, 2014-15:
1. Aroldis Chapman, 46.3%
2. Andrew Miller, 41.6%
3. Dellin Betances, 39.5%
— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) December 28, 2015
Maybe the Yankees are going for it after all.
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