Here is our own Chris Saunders, discussing the Yankees recent trade to get one of the best closers in the game!
Article by Chris
Saunders
After
months of trying to acquire a third bullpen piece to help ease the pressure off
Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller has happened, with the Yankees getting
Aroldis Chapman from the reds for quartet of minor league prospects (Third
baseman Eric Jagielo/Second baseman Tony Renda/Right handers Caleb
Gotham-Rookie Davis).
Outcome for Yankees
Chapman,
27, is arguably baseball’s best relief pitcher, but he comes with significant
off-field baggage in the form of domestic violence allegations that ultimately
halted a trade to the Dodgers from being finalized earlier this month. Chapman
is currently being investigated by the league, and there’s a very real chance
that he’ll serve some form of suspension from commissioner Rob Manfred under
the league’s newly implemented domestic violence policy. What type of
suspension is up to Manfred, though as many have pointed out, there are service
time implications in any suspension that could impact Chapman’s free agency; if
Chapman misses more than 45 days of the regular season due to suspension, he’ll
fall shy of reaching six years of Major League service, which would prevent him
from becoming a free agent next winter. Now strictly looking at Chapman’s
on-field resumé, the results are astounding. In 2015, he worked to a 1.63 ERA
with 15.7 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 37.1 percent ground-ball rate. Over the past four
seasons in Cincinnati, the Cuban-born phenom has delivered an exceptional 1.90
ERA while averaging 16.1 strikeouts and 3.8 walks per nine innings to go along
with an average of 36 saves per season. Chapman is known for his blistering
fastball; the left-hander averaged 100.3 mph on his heater in 2014 and followed
that up with a similarly incredulous 99.5 mph average this past season. His
addition could free the Yankees to trade Miller or Betances, but Joel Sherman
of the New York Post hears that the team’s initial plan is to keep all three in
an effort to effectively shorten games to six-inning affairs.
With
the acquisition of Chapman the Yankees now have three of the top 5 strikeout
percentage leaders from the 2014-2015 season. Chapman(46.3 percent) Miller
(41.6 percent) Betances (39.5 percent).
What Brian Cashman, Yankees GM, is accomplishing in hind sit is quiet simple.
Yankees ranked 19th in starting rotation, 12th in American league in ERA, due
to the fact the rotation has question marks one through five. Tanaka pitched
with a partially torn UCL, C.C struggled with knee injuries and later checked
into Rehab, Pineda has re-occuring shoulder problems (Once needing surgery and
missed two years), Eovaldi is a hard thrower averaging 96.7 MPH on his
fastball, but health has been a question mark his entire career. The only semi
consistent starter and was healthy mind you was 21yrd old Luis severino, whom
was dominate in his rookie campaign, but also never has pitched more than 161
2/3rds inning over his short career. Having the three headed monster of
chapman, miller, betances helps shorten games, of which cancels out in some way
what looks like to be a shaky bullpen.
Reds Second Tier
Acquisitions
Reds
are getting for chapman two minor leaguers whom are from the Yankees second
tier of prospects (Jagielo/davis) in addition to a pair of prospects that
didn’t crack the top 30 on the Yankees top 30 Prospects in 2016 BA Rankings.
Rookie Davis the best of the crop ranked 6th in the yankees farm system
according to Baseball America, while Jagielo ranked 6th and Davis 10th on
MLB.com prospects rankings. Jagielo has the ability to drive the ball to all
fields, with good loft in his swing. That could potentially give him at least
average home run power, and in a ballpark such as Great American Ballpark his
average power can be utilized even more. One major red flag with Jagielo is his
strikeouts ( 23.3 percent in 2015; 24.4 percent in 2014), although he does walk
enough giving him a sound On-Base percentage rate even if his batting average
is lackluster. The other major prospect in this deal is Rookie Davis, whom made
a mechanical adjustment prior to the 2015 season and it showed (3.86 ERA with
8.9 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 in in 130 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced and
Double-A.) Throws a heater 93-95 MPH- complimented by a mid 70’s curve and a
low 80’s change up. BA noted that he can be a mid rotation starter if
everything comes together for him, although there has been questions regarding
his good control, but spotty command (I.E throws strikes but doesn’t command
the pitches in the strike zone with precision and effectiveness.) If Davis does
move to a bullpen role he has a chance to be an effective set up man, or
possibly a closer where his velocity can spike into the triple digits.
Welcome
to contact me about questions/comments/discussions/anything you want me to talk
about on my next blog!
Twitter-
C_Broadcaster
Email-
chrisweather16@yahoo.com
