The Yankees yesterday acquired Reds P Aroldis Chapman, and GM Brian Cashman said that the team "had done their due diligence" on Chapman’s domestic violence case, but he acknowledged that teams "did not have the same investigative clout that law enforcement officials or MLB investigators might have," according to Billy Witz of the N.Y. TIMES. Cashman "declined to answer specifically whether the Yankees had asked MLB for information on the case." He said, "Certainly, there is some serious issues here that are in play. That’s why it’s going to play out. And I acknowledge that it’s an area of concern. There’s risk, and I understand that.” He added, "The results will be whatever they will be.” Witz notes to acquire Chapman the Yankees "did not have to part with any of their most prized prospects" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/29). YAHOO SPORTS' Jeff Passan noted after a deal sending Chapman to the Dodgers fell apart during the Winter Meetings, the Reds "regrouped, assessed the market and acquired four minor league players" from the Yankees. The deal is "far from the sort of haul expected for Chapman," but multiple execs, in the immediate aftermath of the report, deemed Chapman "toxic." Passan: "The Yankees disagreed" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/28).
RISK VERSUS REWARD: In N.Y., John Harper notes in trading for Chapman, the Yankees "acquired a player that at least some teams wouldn’t touch." At a time when the Yankees are "caught in the middle as a franchise, keeping a lid on payroll while waiting out big contracts yet trying to remain a contender, they couldn’t resist taking full advantage of a potentially ugly situation, adding a difference-maker at minimum cost" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/29). ESPN N.Y.'s Wallace Matthews wrote the Yankees traded for Chapman "for one quite logical reason: Because it was too good a deal to pass up, even if he winds up starting his Yankees career on a suspension of anywhere from 30 to 60 days." This was a case of the Reds "holding a fire sale on a player whose value they apparently feared was about to plummet even further, and the Yankees scooping up a bargain" (ESPNNY.com, 12/28). Also in N.Y., Joel Sherman writes the Yankees were "presented a deal they felt they could not ignore." So they "held their noses and completed the transaction" (N.Y. POST, 12/29). On Long Island, David Lennon writes the Yankees "did have a choice in this case," and by inviting a player currently under investigation, they "have made a questionable one." There is a "huge difference between dealing with in-house problems, as the Yankees were forced to do" with DH Alex Rodriguez, and "welcoming trouble, which may very well be the situation with Chapman" (NEWSDAY, 12/29).
HOLIDAY SHOPPING: Reds President of Baseball Operations Walt Jocketty said that the team "isn’t finished trying to rebuild" yet after trading 3B Todd Frazier and Chapman. The return of the last two trades shows that Jocketty is "focused on players that can join the Reds relatively soon as opposed to younger prospects with more upside." Jocketty: "That’s what I’m looking for -- I want guys that can help us the next year or two. I told our guys when we were researching different clubs that it’s nice to have guys who are long-range prospects, but we need guys in the next couple of years" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 12/29).
