Aroldis Chapman suspension shouldn't cripple Yankees

The New York Yankees knew when they traded for Aroldis Chapman that he may be suspended and that possibility became a reality on Tuesday.

Chapman was handed a 30-game suspension for his domestic violence incident last October. Chapman originally said that he would appeal any suspension, but according to the New York Post, he will be accepting the punishment by the MLB.

“Today, I accepted a 30 game suspension from Major League Baseball resulting from my actions on October 30, 2015,’’ Chapman said in a statement released by his lawyer, Jay Reisinger. “I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening. However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to certain actions, and for that I am sorry. The decision to accept a suspension, as opposed to appealing one, was made after careful consideration. I made this decision in an effort to minimize the distractions that an appeal would cause the Yankees, my new teammates and most importantly, my family.

“I have learned from this matter, and I look forward to being part of the Yankees’ quest for a 28th World Series title. Out of respect for my teammates and my family, I will have no further comment.”

Rob Manfred was in uncharted waters with having to deal with a domestic issue, which has been more frequent in the NFL in recent years.

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“I asked my staff to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the incident involving Aroldis Chapman on October 30, 2015,’’ Manfred said in a statement. “Much of the information regarding the incident has been made public through documents released by law enforcement. Mr. Chapman submitted to an in-person interview with counsel present. After reviewing the staff report, I found Mr. Chapman’s acknowledged conduct on that day to be inappropriate under the negotiated Policy, particularly his use of a firearm and the impact of that behavior on his partner.

“I am gratified that Mr. Chapman has taken responsibility for his conduct, that he has agreed not to appeal the 30-game suspension, and that he has agreed to comply with the confidential directives of the Joint Policy Board established under the parties’ Policy to ensure that a similar incident does not occur in the future.’’

“The New York Yankees support the decision made by The Commissioner today,’’ the club said via a statement. “We are pleased that Aroldis has accepted this discipline.’’

On the field, the absence of Chapman for 30 games will have an impact on the Yankees, but it shouldn’t cripple the team. Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances proved last season that they can be one of the most dynamic bullpen duos in baseball, and the Yankees should have a lot of faith in them.

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Chapman is going to be the closer when he returns, but the Yankees should certainly be able to survive without him for a little over a month.

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Aroldis Chapman suspension shouldn’t cripple New York Yankees

By Nick Ziegler | Mar 1, 2016

The New York Yankees knew when they traded for Aroldis Chapman that he may be suspended and that possibility became a reality on Tuesday.

More from Empire Writes Back