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In case you happen to be living under a rock and somehow missed it, last week the Yankees signed Aroldis Chapman to a five-year deal worth $86 million. This move did not exactly come as a surprise since Brian Cashman made it clear time and time again that the Yankees wanted to get Chapman back.
The Yankees' decision to bring Chapman back a second time has sparked the same controversies that were brought up when he joined the team a year ago. If you don't remember, Chapman to the Dodgers appeared to be a done deal, then the news surrounding his domestic violence allegations leaked. Chapman ended up being traded to the Yankees, serving a 30 day suspension and losing approximately $1.7 million in salary. Interestingly, everything over the past six months seems to have worked perfectly for the Yankees. Not only were they able to flip him to the Cubs for prospects before the trade deadline, but now Chapman is a Yankee again and the farm system has greatly improved in the meantime.
Yankees fans seem to have a lot of mixed feelings about the Yankees signing Chapman. As has already been expressed in previous articles, most (if not all) of our staff disagree with the Yankees' decision to bring Chapman back from a moral standpoint. We understand that not everyone feels the same way, and that is your right.
There are also numerous other reasons to dislike this signing, including the fact that it is very lengthy and expensive. The Yankees were not in dire need of a closer (Dellin Betances would have been fine), and could have been better off saving the money. Sometimes it seems ridiculous to complain about the Yankees spending or not spending money (because it is not like they need to be penny-pinching), but they just spent a year avoiding the free agent market, being cheap, and talking about trying to get under the luxury-tax threshold. What they do need is starting pitching help, and though there aren't any great choices on the market, they could have traded for a starting pitcher and saved the money to take on extra salary instead.
One of the main reasons that Hal Steinbrenner wanted Chapman back was because he created a "buzz" around the stadium and that supposedly helped the team sell tickets. There is no question that he has been one of the best closers in baseball, and he sure does throw the ball fast. Again, I am not one to take issue with Betances being in the role of closer, but Chapman does strengthen the bullpen. Whether the addition of Chapman will help the Yankees become contenders over the next few years remains to be seen, though.
So, do you agree with the Yankees' decision to sign Chapman? Vote in the poll below and let us know in the comments.