Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner today at MLB owners meetings in Coral Gables, Fla., defended the club’s recent trade for P Aroldis Chapman despite him remaining under investigation by the league for an alleged domestic violence incident. Steinbrenner said, “I put a lot of thought into it, and there’s still an investigation going. But in this country, when allegations are brought (forward), that person is completely innocent until proven otherwise, not the other way around. It’s a touchy subject, but the man is innocent until proven otherwise.”
The Yankees have been uncharacteristically quiet on this winter’s free-agent market, not making any moves beyond a series of trades. But Steinbrenner said that was driven by the lack of money coming off the payroll, and the club’s current '16 payroll obligation of at least $206M – pending arbitration outcomes – will not grow much more. "I’m not comfortable with payroll being too much higher than where it is now," Steinbrenner said. "I have said many times I should not have to be at $200 million in order to win a World Series."
