Philadelphia Phillies: Is Aroldis Chapman A Possibility?
The Philadelphia Phillies have had enough. With the Atlanta Braves winning the division and the Washington Nationals in the World Series, the Phillies have decided to make a major move. There have been no trade rumors involving Justin Verlander or Mike Trout but their manager position was just filled with one of the best. Joe Girardi will now be making the day-to-day decisions but now the question is, who will he bring in?
One name that has been mentioned is Aroldis Chapman.
Chapman is still under contract with the New York Yankees but he can opt-out of the final two years on his deal and become a free agent this winter. If that were to happen, should the Phillies make a move? It’s no secret the Phillies are in need of pitching arms. While the offense has been steady, the pitching has been the reason their decline has been on-going. Last season, Hector Neris took the mound as the Phillies closer and accounted for 28 saves. During that same span, Chapman posted 37 for the Yankees. But will this work?
According to George Stockburger of That Balls Outta There, Chapman does come with some glaring issues.
Philadelphia has been strong in their stance on domestic violence, and signing Chapman while moving on from Herrera would send the wrong message to players and the fans. Will the far superior talent of Chapman outweigh his checkered past?
If all issues are resolved, does Girardi make this move? I say yes. What this will do is give the Phillies one of the best closers in MLB while offering relief to their struggling pitching staff that they will no longer need to push themselves or add extra pressure that they must do more than expected. Having a player like Chapman behind you come the 8th inning could do wonders for pitchers like Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta.
This could be the move that could push the Philadelphia Phillies to the top of the NL East next season.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
