Aroldis Chapman Reportedly Will Opt Out of Yankees Contract if Team Doesn't Extend Him
By Michael Luciano
New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman is looking to cash in on his All-Star season, but he certainly has a preference of where he wants to play next season.
Chapman, who has two years and $30 million left on his contract, wants to remain a Yankee for the foreseeable future, and is pursuing an extension with the team. However, if the two sides are at an impasse, he will opt out of his contract.
Aroldis Chapman prefers to remain a Yankee and will pursue an extension with the team. If no extension can be done quickly, he will opt out of the $30M and 2 years left on his contract. Whereupon the Yankees will extend the $17.8M qualifying offer (which he obvs would decline)
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 1, 2019
Chapman, 31, went 3-2 with a 2.21 ERA this year, saving 37 games and earning the AL Reliever of the Year Award. His late-inning dominance is unquestionably one of the biggest ingredients in the Yankees' recipe for success over the last few years.
Some might view him as expendable if the team wants to attract a marquee starting pitcher, but the gulf between him and the other Yankees relievers is a noticeable one, and the team must be careful in letting a poor postseason finale and a few bouts of inconsistency cloud their judgment.
In no universe should the Yankees let Aroldis Chapman leave https://t.co/vwqmDXFy3O
— Yanks Yak (@YanksYak) October 31, 2019
A dominant bullpen is the first box the Yankees want to check when building a team, and Chapman is at the very epicenter of that. Allowing him to leave for another contender would be some gross mismanagement from the front office.