Aroldis Chapman won't be making the New York Yankees' ALDS roster. The 34-year-old pitcher made sure that this was the case after he shockingly went AWOL from the team for Friday's workout. The timing is undeniably terrible given how New York is on the brink of their ALDS matchup against the Cleveland Guardians.
According to a report by Greg Joyce of the New York Post, Chapman's decision may have stemmed from the fact that he was replaced as the team's closer earlier in the season — something that still appears to weigh heavily on the veteran's mind.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was understandably upset by Chapman's decision to abandon his team. This led to the high-ranking executive stating his belief about Chapman's head not being in the right place for quite some time now:
“You gotta be all-in at this time of the year,” Cashman said. “It’s disappointing that [Chapman] effectively made that type of decision.”
“It was surprising at first [that he missed the workout], a little shocking, but after the shock wore off, when you add everything up, it’s not surprising. There’s some questions about whether he’s been in all-in or not for a little while. He’s maintained verbally that he’s in, but at times, actions don’t match those words.”
Cashman then went on to acknowledge how Chapman hasn't had his best season this year. The team exec said that he's certain that the pitcher did what he can to try and make an impact on the squad, but that at the same time, it just was not enough:
“This year was a struggle for him,” Cashman said. “At times you saw the flashes of, ‘There it is.’ Other times it disappeared. He was fighting through it I’m sure. This game’s not easy, but you don’t need to make it harder by not showing up at a mandatory workout — for yourself as you compete for a postseason as well as your teammates who are fighting to be ready when called upon.”
Brian Cashman slapped Aroldis Chapman with a hefty fine for his actions, but the GM left the roster decision to manager Aaron Boone, who for his part, admits that he never got an “acceptable excuse” from the embattled pitcher.
“I think he questioned whether or not he was going to be on the roster or not,” Boone said. “But he needed to be here. … I think there’s a chance he absolutely could have been [on the roster]. We’re still actually getting ready to start those conversations now. He may have been. It’s a moot point now.”
Follow Us
Subscribe