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New York Yankees News: Arbitration Updates For Aroldis Chapman and More

By Kenneth Teape

Jul 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; National League pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) of the Cincinnati Reds throws against the American League during the ninth inning of the 2015 MLB All Star Game at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; National League pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) of the Cincinnati Reds throws against the American League during the ninth inning of the 2015 MLB All Star Game at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Yankees News: Aroldis Chapman headlines the list of arbitration eligible players that the Yankees have on their roster currently.

With the MLB offseason winding down and Spring Training right around the corner, it is arbitration time for teams. For the New York Yankees, this will be a busy time. The Yankees have six players on their roster that are arbitration eligible and settlements will have to be worked out in the coming days, or else the Yankees and the player will go to an arbitration hearing to decide how much the player will make during the 2016 season.

The Yankees were able to avoid arbitration with two of those players already, as they agreed to one year deals with starting pitching Michael Pineda and outfielder/infielder Dustin Ackley. Both players were in their second years of arbitration eligibility and were due raises. Pineda will more than double his 2015 earnings, going from $2.1 million to $4.3 million for 2016.

Pineda had an up-and-down season for the Yankees, looking like the ace of the staff at some points but being a disaster at other times. He finished the season with a 12-10 record and 4.37 ERA with 27 starts. It was the most starts he has had since his rookie season in 2011 when he started 28 games for the Seattle Mariners.

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Ackley is also a former member of the Mariners. He came to the Yankees at last season’s trade deadline to help shore things up at second base and in centerfield. He will continue to fill a super utility role for the Yankees as they acquired Aaron Hicks from the Minnesota Twins to help bolster the outfield and Starlin Castro from the Chicago Cubs to be the starting second baseman. Ackley agreed to a $3.2 million contract, up from $2.6 million he received in 2015 as he has been a bust since being selected by the Mariners second overall in 2009.

The other four players that are arbitration eligible for the Yankees have all filed, meaning the Yankees will have a chance to submit their offer. If an agreement cannot be reached, then the two sides will go to an arbitration hearing to see how much the player will be paid. Those four players are Ivan Nova, Didi Gregorius, Nathan Eovaldi and Aroldis Chapman.

This is the last year that Nova is arbitration eligible, as he is a free agent to be in 2017. He missed most of the 2015 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, and when he returned the results weren’t great. Nova started 17 games, finishing with a record of 6-11 with an ERA of 5.07. Despite the rocky season, Nova filed for a contract of $4.6 million, which the Yankees countered with $3.8 million. No matter the outcome, Nova will see an increase from last season, as he earned $3.3 million his first two years of arbitration.

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Gregorius had a breakout season of sorts in his first in the Bronx. Many people thought Gregorius would crumble trying to replace icon Derek Jeter, but he did as well as the Yankees could have expected. He ended up slashing .265/.318/.370 across 525 at-bats and 155 games. He provided solid defense at shortstop as well, as he more than held his own.

Gregorius is eligible for arbitration this season because he has qualified for Super-2 status. He should see a significant increase from the $553,900 he made last season; he filed for $2.525 million with the Yankees offering $2.3 million. With numbers that close the two sides should be able to come to an agreement rather easily.

2015 was also the first season with the Yankees for Eovaldi, but the same problems he had previously in the NL continued over to the AL; he gives up way too many base runners. Despite pitching 45 1/3 less innings in 2015 than 2014, Eovaldi actually walked more batters and had a WHIP of 1.45 with an ERA of 4.20.

This will be the second time that Eovaldi is arbitration eligible, and he is hoping to cash in. After earning $3.3 million in 2015, Eovaldi has filed for $6.3 million with the Yankees offering $4.9 million. It is hard to imagine Eovaldi winning this case and almost doubling his earnings with the season he put together in 2015.

Last but not least we have Chapman, whom the Yankees acquired recently from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for a package of four prospects. Chapman comes with some baggage stemming from a domestic disturbance, but on the field he is elite at what he does.

In his last year of arbitration eligibility, Chapman will be looking to cash in. After earning $8.05 million, Chapman is seeking $13.1 million, the highest amount filed this season, topping Jake Arrieta by $100,000. Chapman is smart to request so high, as he put together another dominant season in 2015, striking out 116 batters in 66 1/3 innings with 33 saves, a 1.15 WHIP and 1.63 ERA.

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The Yankees countered with an offer of $9 million, and it will be tough to build a case against Chapman. The potential suspension looming from the domestic incident is all the Yankees really have against him at this point as his stats speak for themselves. They will try hard to settle outside of court with Chapman, just like the remainder of the players that remain un-signed currently.

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