The New York Yankees have shipped flame throwing closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs. They have one of the most-talented starting pitchers in Jake Arrieta and they have now snagged a great closer by adding Aroldis Chapman in a five-player deal with the New York Yankees. The full answer to that question remains to be seen, but trading Aroldis Chapman, who is set to become a free agent after the season, appeared necessary and inevitable. He had to serve a 30-game suspension at the start of this season for a domestic violence incident that took place previous year. That trade looks even better for the Yankees now, as they essentially traded Brendan Ryan for Castro, a trade that would even be tough to execute in a video game.
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McKinney isn’t expected to be up in the major leagues until 2017. Cubs reliever Adam Warren and shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres would be part of the trade. Sure, the Yankees may have a history of overpaying for players, but the Cubs have some serious money too.
By comparison, the top prospect the Reds acquired from the Yankees was Rookie Davis, a former 14th-round pick Baseball America rated the No. 6 prospect in New York’s organization.
“The Cubs have been playing really good baseball”, Chapman said through a translator before he left Houston to travel to Chicago.
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“I regret that I did not exercise better judgment and for that I am truly sorry”, Chapman said in Monday’s statement. Torres was scratched about 20 minutes before the first pitch for high Class A Myrtle Beach on Sunday afternoon. The 29-year-old right-hander has had his success in NY, however – his best season came in 2013, when he went 9-6 with a 3.10 ERA in 23 outings. This season, with Double-A Tennessee, he has put up a.252/.355/.322 triple-slash line with 16 extra-base hits, 31 RBI and 37 runs scored in 349 PA. He suffered a hairline fracture in his right knee a year ago, which might explain why he’s been a bit lackluster with the bat this season. Chapman was accused of choking his 22-year-old girlfriend and firing eight shots in his Florida home after last season but was not prosecuted due to conflicting information. A shortstop by trade, the Yankees may move him to second or third (I think the latter is more likely). Crawford was also on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans with Torres and hit.255/.327/.386 with three homers and 30 RBI’s in 83 games.
