When the New York Yankees acquired Aroldis Chapman on Monday in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, many believed the team was assuming a big risk because the left-hander is under investigation by the MLB and could be suspended for a significant portion of 2016.
However, the latest rumors provided some insight regarding Chapman's potential ban and it's good news for the Yankees.
"Word is going around that a long suspension is unlikely in the case of Aroldis Chapman's alleged domestic violence incident," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. "MLB is taking the domestic violence issue very seriously but word is the evidence may be thin in this case. The Yankees aren't saying anything beyond that they did their 'due diligence' in making the trade. But suffice it to say, they wouldn't have made the deal if they thought he was in for a long suspension."
New York was under scrutiny for the move because domestic violence allegations have been a paramount issue in professional sports over the past few years, especially due to the rise and exposure of cases in the NFL. As a result, the MLB adopted a new domestic violence policy in August and it allows the league to discipline players regardless of the legal case's outcome. League officials can review the evidence and come to a decision about a player's status at their own discretion.
"Bryan Seeley, a former assistant U.S. attorney and now MLB's top investigator, is the point man for preparing reports on Chapman, as well as two other players currently being investigated for domestic violence: Jose Reyes and Yasiel Puig. Once that step is done, those reports will be turned over to commissioner Rob Manfred, who will then decide on the course of disciplinary action," writes David Lennon of Newsday.
"Under MLB's new domestic violence protocol, there is no minimum or maximum penalty guidelines for Manfred to follow. And with no precedent, Manfred will be breaking new ground, which carries the pressure of determining a punishment that correctly fits the crime - whether charges ultimately are filed against Chapman or not."
Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner have refused to get into the specific details regarding the allegations brought forth against Chapman. Cashman said the "serious issues at play are an area clearly of concern." Steinbrenner said, "I approved the trade after significant thought and research, as I do with any significant trade."
Perhaps the Yankees did some background work on Chapman's case and saw there was scant evidence, which wouldn't have been enough to discipline him with a lengthy ban.
Then again, the Yankees were aware of the fact that if Chapman happened to be suspended for at least 30 games then they'd be able to control him through the 2017 season as well. The left-hander is still under the MLB's salary arbitration system and needs to accrue at least 138 days of service time in order to hit free agency in 2017 (this is his third and final year of arbitration eligibility). A full year of service time is 172 days.
The Yankees were able to add Chapman and give up very little since his value plummeted after his alleged involvement in the domestic violence case, but the team is perhaps going to be in the media for the wrong reasons as the 2016 season approaches.
Stay tuned for updates on Chapman's status for next year.
