Dodgers Lose Out on Aroldis Chapman

Chapman is traded to the Yankees for prospects instead of the Dodgers.

At the winter meetings it looked like the Dodgers had a great shot at acquiring All-Star Aroldis Chapman, but that deal fell apart when information was released that Chapman was involved in a domestic violence case. The case is currently still under investigation with MLB and is rumored to be a lengthy suspension. With all of this information, the Dodgers backed off Chapman.

Monday afternoon it was announced that the Yankees thought otherwise. They acquired Chapman in exchange for RHP’s Caleb Cotham, Rookie Davis and INF’s Eric Jagielo and Tony Renda. The Yankees are taking a risk with Chapman because of the suspension. However, this may favor the Yankees depending on how long the suspension is for.

Currently Chapman is signed to a one year deal, but in order for it to be considered a full season Chapman needs to be in 138 games. If he is not, that means Chapman will not become a free agent and the Yankees can then control his fate into the 2017 season. It is hard to know how great of a trade this really was until the MLB suspension is announced.

Personally, I think the Dodgers backing off of Chapman was the right choice. The whole domestic violence case is a huge question mark. Also, it was rumored that many players in the Reds clubhouse were not huge fans of Chapman. The Dodgers in the past have had their own challenges in the clubhouse when it came to personalities. I think what they need now is a guy with a team mentality. Even if those are just rumors, it still makes others question Chapman. At the end of the day, chemistry between players still plays a huge part in how the team preforms.

This does not discount Chapman’s ability. There is no doubt the guy is a great pitcher and fastballs between 101-103 are something to admire. He just was not the right guy for the Dodgers clubhouse.

Mar 25, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Andrew Miller (48) throws a pitch against the New York Mets at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

This trade does open the door for the Dodgers to go after another closer. Now that the Yankees acquired Chapman maybe they will be willing to do a trade for Andrew Miller. Miller appeared in 60 games for the Yankees this past season and posted an ERA of just 2.04. Miller was also third overall for most strikeouts by a relief pitcher in 2015, with 100 strikeouts in just those 60 games. Miller looks like the more practical choice for the Dodgers. The 6’7 30 year old left hander is putting up great numbers and proving to be one of the best closers in the game.

Either way, right now the Yankees have one of the best bullpens in the MLB. It will be interesting to see if they choose to even consider trading Andrew Miller or Dellin Betances now that they have added Aroldis Chapman to the pen. After all, only one person can be a closer and pitch the ninth inning.

The Dodgers are in desperate need of bullpen help and Andrew Miller could be the perfect man to add to the pen and bring stability.