Aroldis Chapman – a nemesis for the Pittsburgh Pirates – has returned to the National League Central.
After weeks of rumors, a trade involving one of the best closers in the game has finally materialized. Aroldis Chapman has returned to the NL Central.
Yanks and Cubs have a deal. Torres, mckinney, Warren and likely 1 more to NYY.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 25, 2016
Chapman was long considered to be a widely available trade chip. The New York Yankees have both Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances in tow. Chapman was thus seen as a luxury, one that could surely be used to help the Yankees re-stock their farm system.
A return to terrorizing the Pirates
Of course, for Pittsburgh Pirates fans, the return of Aroldis Chapman means the return of one of their biggest bullies – a flame throwing ninth inning monster who has clearly had the Pirates’ collective number. See below for the gory details.
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | HBP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starling Marte | 14 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .250 | .357 | .250 | .607 | 1 |
| Jordy Mercer | 13 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | .000 | .231 | .000 | .231 | 0 |
| Josh Harrison | 12 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .250 | .250 | .250 | .500 | 0 |
| Andrew McCutchen | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .222 | .364 | .222 | .586 | 1 |
| Gregory Polanco | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .200 | .333 | .200 | .533 | 0 |
| David Freese | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .200 | .200 | .400 | 0 |
| Sean Rodriguez | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 | .400 | .250 | .650 | 1 |
| Francisco Cervelli | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .250 | .500 | 0 |
| Jung Ho Kang | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .500 | .667 | 1.000 | 1.667 | 0 |
| Total | 73 | 63 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 32 | .206 | .315 | .222 | .537 | 3 |
His half-season move to the American League – which followed a lengthy domestic violence suspension – did nothing to slow down Chapman’s fastball, which averaged 100.48 mph during his time in New York. With his changeup and slider dropping down to the high 80s, Chapman can also dial it back when needed. Though the past two years saw his fastball usage percentage drop, the Yankees were content to let it fly. Chapman threw the heat nearly 81 percent of the time.
The Chicago Cubs are going for it
Adding Aroldis Chapman gives an instant boost to a bullpen that ranked third-from-last in terms of WAR among NL teams. The unit’s ERA – 3.83 – ranks ninth in the 15-team league. Chapman’s presence will be strongly felt for a relief unit that ranks 12th in the NL with 289 strikeouts. Chapman’s K/9 of 12.9 in 2016 is actually a few notches below his career figure of 15.6, but will instantly boost the Cubs’ figure of 9.65 as a unit.
The haul that Chicago sent back to the Yankees suggest that they view 2016 as their shot to finally capture their first World Series since 1908. GM Theo Epistein can cement his claim as one of the best executives in the game’s history by ending not one but two legendary title droughts.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are definitively not looking forward to Aroldis Chapman’s return to the National League.
Featured Image Credit – Keith Allison via Flickr
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