Former Yankees star closer Aroldis Chapman and has had an interesting story over the past few years, leaving the Bronx after refusing to join the team for the postseason and promptly signing with the Kansas City Royals that following off-season.
Chapman won a World Series with the Texas Rangers at the end of last year, posting a 3.72 ERA across 29 innings after the deal. His collective 3.09 ERA made him primarily effective, with his strikeouts ballooning to 15.8 per nine innings.
Former Yankees Closer Aroldis Chapman Keep on Cashing in
Chapman inked a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates this past winter following his successful season. The 36-year-old has seen his velocity drop steeply to 97.9 mph on average, hosting a 4.76 ERA over 5.2 innings.
In fact, Chapman was suspended two games and fined an undisclosed amount after saying something to the umpire that he certainly didn’t like.
“He evidently said something that the umpire did not like,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said after Monday’s game.
Chapman‘s suspension will start on Friday against the Boston Red Sox following his interaction with umpire Edwin Moscoso. Chapman gave up a two-run double in the 8th inning in a loss to the Mets on Monday, clearly making a verbal comment out of frustration. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Aroldis showcase a lapse in judgment, so the Yankees are certainly happy they can avoid any of these issues moving forward.