Aroldis Chapman will not be on the Yankees’ ALDS roster, manager Aaron Boone told media on Sunday.
Per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, Chapman didn’t show up to a team workout on Friday with what Boone called “not an acceptable excuse.”
Aroldis Chapman was left off the postseason roster. Didn't show up to Friday's workout with what Boone said was "not an acceptable excuse." #Yankees
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) October 9, 2022
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com added the former star closer is not with the team, but at his house in Miami. General manager Brian Cashman noted that Chapman was fined for no-showing.
And with that, we can finally call a long overdue end to the relationship between Aroldis Chapman and the New York Yankees. No pitcher was more wholly unreliable this year than the once dominant lefty. Chapman posted a career-worst 4.46 ERA with just nine saves in 43 games.
Chapman, 34, also posted a career-low 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), another sign of his dwindling velocity. Clay Holmes eventually emerged as an All-Star closer, and the Yankees haven’t looked back since.
So what does this mean for the Yankees’ bullpen? Holmes has been injured, but said he expects to make the ALDS roster. New York also has Scott Effross back from shoulder trouble, and one of Lucas Luetge or Wandy Peralta could serve as lefty bullpen help.
The only possibility where this might be an issue comes from rookie Ron Marinaccio being out with a shin injury. He posted a 2.05 ERA in 40 games and lefties only hit .146 against him and his devastating changeup. Chapman, in turn, also dominated left-handed hitters and held them to a .162 batting average in the midst of his worst season.
But when push comes to shove, there’s no more trust between Aroldis Chapman and the New York Yankees organization. Cashman added there were “questions about whether (Chapman) was all in or not” all year long. That’s fair, especially considering he had ample opportunities to win back the closer’s job. Aside from that, Boone tried hard to find a bullpen role for Chapman, and he wasted his chances.
Six years in pinstripes and an expiring contract later, it’s best for both sides to move on.