Aroldis Chapman has been a mainstay of the Yankees bullpen since 2017, when New York signed the flamethrower back after trading him to the Cubs to be a part of their World Series run in 2016. One of the players who helped usher in the era of the 100-mph reliever, Chapman posted 30-save seasons in 2018, 2019, and 2021, posting 11 blown saves in those three years combined.
Heading into the ALDS against the Guardians this year, however, Chapman won’t be a part of the Yankees’ roster.
After a troubled season in which he not only posted a career-high 4.46 ERA but also missed time because of an infection from a tattoo, limiting his opportunities to help his stats, the Yankees left Chapman off the roster after he missed a Sept. 30 workout and did not have an “acceptable excuse,” according to Aaron Boone.
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The Sporting News looks at what led to Chapman missing out on the postseason:
Why isn’t Aroldis Chapman on the Yankees’ ALDS roster?
Chapman was likely a borderline player before he skipped the workout, he just made the decision easier by doing so.
“I think [Chapman] questioned whether or not he was going to be on the roster or not,” Boone said, via The New York Post. “But he needed to be here. … I think there’s a chance he absolutely could have been. We’re still actually getting ready to start those conversations now. He may have been. It’s a moot point now.”
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Chapman said he would attend the workout with assurances he was on the roster. When those assurances weren’t given, he reportedly stayed home in Miami.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman was characteristically blunt in acknowledging why Chapman was left off the roster.
“It was surprising at first, a little shocking, but after the shock wore off, when you add everything up, it’s not surprising,” he said, per The New York Post. “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.”
This likely spells the end of Chapman’s Yankees career. He started giving up harder contact in 2021, particularly in the second half of the season, and the counting stats caught up to him this year.
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Aroldis Chapman 2022 stats
Despite three All-Star seasons in four years heading into 2022, Chapman struggled mightily this year.
The southpaw’s velocity and spin were still in the upper echelon of MLB pitchers, but he gave up a home run per nine innings and had a career-high 6.9 walks per nine. His strikeouts per nine and strikeouts per walk, meanwhile, plummeted to career lows, making it harder and harder for Boone to use him.
| Player | G | ERA | FIP | K/9 | BB/9 | xwOBA | HH% |
| Aroldis Chapman | 43 | 4.46 | 4.57 | 10.7 | 6.9 | .326 | 34.5% |
While Chapman’s issues weren’t guaranteed to keep him off the roster — particularly with his history in the postseason — he assured a scratch by missing the workout.
Aroldis Chapman contract
Chapman, 34, is in the final season of a three-year, $48 million deal and is set to be a free agent this offseason, meaning his future with the Yankees is very much in question.
It’s hard to figure what the reliever’s market will be, particularly with this latest drama, but teams hard-up for bullpen help will undoubtedly at least take a flier on him.
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