Zach Britton

Yankees and Aroldis Chapman reach reasonable extension

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New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman

UPDATED:

Yankees and Chapman agree on a $48 million, three-year extension to replace two-year, $30 million remaining on deal.

 

Time is ticking for New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman. The five-year, $86 million contract he signed with the Bombers has an out after the third season, and he now has to decide on his future. If he chooses to look for a new contract, he will forfeit $30 million over the next two seasons, but he can likely find a suitor who will pay him significantly more.

The Yankees could re-sign him for more money. Still, it’s possible they stick with Zach Britton as their closer and let Chapman walk, especially after he gave up a two-run homer to Jose Altuve in the ALCS to guarantee the Yankees’ elimination from the playoffs. His success dwarfs that blip on Chapman’s impressive career.

Chapman has until 12:01 a.m. on Sunday to make a choice and all signs point towards an opt-out. The closer will turn 32 in February, which puts him in an older grouping of relief pitchers. If he elects to opt-out, the Yanks will then offer him (qualifying) $17.8 million for one year. If he rejects that, the new team he signs with will then need to compensate his former club (the Bombers).

How dominant was Aroldis Chapman for the New York Yankees?

Over 60 games this past season, Chapman earned 37 saves over 42 attempts, striking out 85 batters and allowed 48 hits over 57 innings. He ranked second in saves alongside Roberto Osuna of the Houston Astros. The 2019 season was notable for Aroldis, though, as it proved he can stay healthy. He managed to avoid the injured list, which ultimately boosts his value and potential compensation if he opts out.

Britton was confidence that the bullpen could supplement his loss if they need to, according to the NY Post:

“Obviously Chapman is one of the top closers in the game,” Britton said. “I think we have enough talent in the bullpen if he decides to go elsewhere though.”

It will be interesting to see what he decides and if the Yankees are keen on offering him more money to retain his quality.

New York Yankees: Chapman and Britton OK after injury scare

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New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman

The New York Yankees swept the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS and the Yankees had some fun after – maybe too much fun. Closer Aroldis Chapman was hit with a bottle that cut his hand.

There was a concern at first, of course, as the injury bug has bit the Yankees all season. However, Chapman made sure everyone knew he was OK.

“I was just celebrating and everyone was jumping around,” said Chapman. “I got hit with a bottle, but it’s fine.”

General manager Brian Cashman said he realized the injury after giving Chapman a fist-bump. “He had a huge smile on his face, so I think that was a good sign,” Cashman said.

Left-hander Zach Britton left Game 3 of the ALDS early with an apparent ankle injury where he hopped around in the infield. However, it does not seem that this injury will pose a threat for the postseason.

“I’ll be fine,” Britton said reassuringly.

Both relievers will be heavily used in the postseason. Britton, known for his high groundball rate, is a guy the Yankees turn to when in a jam. Chapman, known for the high-heat, will always be the ninth-inning guy to close out the game.

Chapman has pitched just 2.2 innings this year in the postseason and has only allowed one hit through that time. Britton has pitched just an out less than Chapman and has only allowed one hit as well.

The New York Yankees will have a week of rest before heading into the ALCS either playing the Houston Astros or Tampa Bay Rays.

New York Yankees: from “championship caliber” to champions

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

The 2018 season ended with a whimper not a bang as the New York Yankees found themselves eliminated from the playoff race by the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball’s American League Division Series.

Owner Hal Steinbrenner was disappointed and expressed his dissatisfaction with the ALDS result, telling the NYPost.com’s Joel Sherman that the loss “certainly pisses me off.”

In a number of interviews, notably with YES network’s Meredith Marokovitzs on December 5th, Steinbrenner said that the Yankees will “field a championship caliber team” and he believed that the 2018 team was a championship caliber team that didn’t live up to it’s potential.

Steinbrenner told NYPost.com’s Greg Joyce on October 13:

“Look, my family has always been willing to take money that comes off the payroll and put it back in,” Steinbrenner said Friday on “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN 98.7 FM. “We’re going to do our best to field a championship-caliber team every single year. This coming year is going to be no different than last.”

True to his word, Steinbrenner and the Yankees stayed the course from 2018 by resigning veterans Brett Gardner, CC Sabathia and JA Happ, then made their only splash of the offseason early (November 19) by acquiring James Paxton in a trade with the Seattle Mariners.

The Yankees recently signed free agent Troy Tulowitzki, in a surprising, but not splashy move to bolster the infield in the absence of Didi Gregorius.

However, the offseason’s biggest free agent stars, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper remain unsigned and Yankee fans, many caught up in the media frenzy surrounding these superstars, are frustrated that a truly spectacular move has not been made to propel this team from “championship-caliber” to champions.

Hot stove season is in a deep freeze at the moment for Yankee fans who are clamoring for the team to step up and sign not only Machado and/or Harper, but also relief pitchers, such as Zach Britton and Adam Ottavino.

And it’s not just the Yankees fans that feel the frustration with the cold stove, fans across MLB feel the chill as well. Travis Sawchik of fivethirtyeight.com said that “Free agency has become more and more a battleground between teams and players,” especially as the trend set in 2017 of waiting out the market has extended into the 2018 offseason.

Even superstars are having to wait, Sawchik says:

“and teams seem to have learned, collectively, to wait out free agents. Thirty-five free agents signed guaranteed major league deals last year between Feb. 1 and opening day,2 compared with 18 in 2017, 13 in 2016, 10 in 2015 and 13 in 2014. The longer free agents wait, the fewer dollars they’re typically awarded.”

While perhaps a tectonic shift is taking place in MLB with respect to free agents, these are topics for the lawyers, Yankee fans have stars in their eyes and are restless to see them in pinstripes. I have even seen it suggested by fans, unrealistically, I might add, that there be a signing deadline, such as January 1 for all free agents.

Whatever the solution to the cold stove, Yankee fans are eager to see Steinbrenner and the Yankees field not only a “championship-caliber” team, but champions, such as Machado, Harper, Britton, and Ottavino, elite players at the top of their game now.