Yankees acquire LHP Aroldis Chapman from Cincinnati
The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RHPs Caleb Cotham and Rookie Davis and INFs Eric Jagielo and Tony Renda.
A National League All-Star in each of the last four seasons (2012-15), Chapman, 27, went 4-4 with 33 saves and a 1.63 ERA (66.1IP, 12ER) in 65 relief appearances with the Reds in 2015. His 15.74K/9.0IP ratio led all Major League relievers, while his 116K ranked second behind only Dellin Betances (131). He recorded his 500th career strikeout on July 19 vs. Cleveland, having reached the plateau in 292.0IP to become the fastest to 500K by innings pitched in Major League history (surpassed Craig Kimbrel's record of 500K in 305.0IP, set earlier in 2015).
According to MLB's Statcast, Chapman threw the 62 fastest pitches in the Majors in 2015, with a high of 103.92 mph on June 29 (fouled off by Minnesota's Brian Dozier). He also posted the highest average fastball velocity in the Majors (99.96 mph), ahead of Kansas City's Kelvin Herrera (98.46). He tossed the ninth inning for the National League in the All-Star Game at Great American Ball Park, striking out all three batters faced.
Over six career Major League seasons (2010-15), Chapman has gone 19-20 with 146 saves, a 2.17 ERA (319.0IP, 169H, 77ER, 155BB, 546K) and 1.02 WHIP in 324 relief appearances. Since 2010, he leads all Major League relievers with a 15.40K/9.0IP ratio and ranks second in strikeouts, trailing only Kimbrel (563). He is the only pitcher in Major League history with four seasons of at least 30 saves and 100K, having done so in each of the last four years (2012-15). Only Eric Gagne (2002-04) and Billy Wagner (1999, 2003, '10) have had as many as three such seasons in their careers.
The Holguin, Cuba, native has more career saves than any other Cuba-born pitcher, surpassing Danys Baez's record (114) on April 10, 2015 vs. St. Louis. Chapman was originally signed by the Reds to a six-year contract on January 11, 2010, extending through the 2015 season, and is the only relief pitcher ever to be named to four All-Star teams while playing for the Reds.
Cotham, 28, made his Major League debut with the Yankees in 2015, going 1-0 with a 6.52 ERA (9.2IP, 7ER) in 12 relief appearances with the club. On July 29 at Texas, he struck out four batters (in 1.2IP) to become only the 11th Yankees reliever since 1914 to record at least 4K in his first career appearance. Cotham spent the majority of the season in the minors, combining to go 6-4 with two saves and a 2.21 ERA (57.0IP, 14ER) in 35 relief appearances with Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was originally drafted by the Yankees in the fifth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. Over six minor league seasons, Cotham is 19-24 with a 3.94 ERA (367.2IP, 161ER, 377H, 122BB, 312K) in 120 games (57 starts).
Davis, 22, began the 2015 season with Single-A Tampa, going 6-6 with a 3.70 ERA (97.1IP, 40ER) and 105K in 19 starts, ranking fifth in the Florida State League in strikeouts. He was promoted to Double-A Trenton in August, going 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA (33.1IP, 16ER) and 24K in six games (five starts). Overall, he ranked second among Yankees farmhands with 129K. He was originally selected by the Yankees in the 14th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft and has combined to go 19-20 with a 3.90 ERA (325.2IP, 141ER) and 299K in 72 career minor league appearances (63 starts).
Jagielo, 23, spent the 2015 season with Double-A Trenton, batting .284 (63-for-222) with 36R, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 9HR and 35RBI in 58 games en route to being named an Eastern League All-Star. Among Thunder players, he ranked third with 27 extra-base hits, despite missing the team's final 78 games due to injury.Over three minor league seasons, he has combined to hit .266 (199-for-747) with 104R, 46 doubles, 33HR and 120RBI in 205 games. Jagielo was originally selected by the Yankees in the first round (26th overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.
Renda, 24, hit .270 (74-for-274) with 42R, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 2HR, 21RBI and 10SB in 73 games with Double-A Trenton after being acquired by the Yankees from Washington on June 11, 2015, in exchange for RHP David Carpenter. Renda began the season with Double-A Harrisburg, batting .267 (55-for-206) with 31R, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 1HR, 23RBI and 13SB in 54 games. He was originally selected by the Nationals in the second round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft and has hit .285 (487-for-1,710) with 294R, 103 doubles, 9 triples, 6HR, 174RBI and 87SB in 440 games over parts of four minor league seasons.
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