On the same day that they added veteran outfielder Matt Holliday, the New York Yankees have made the biggest splash of the MLB free agency period thus far.
The team has reportedly signed All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman to a five-year, $86 million contract.
BREAKING: Chapman to #Yankees, five years, $86M.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 8, 2016
This comes mere months after the Yankees traded Chapman to the eventual World Series champion Chicago Cubs for a huge package of prospects.
It was long expected, even after New York dealt Chapman away while it was in the midst of a lost season.
Chapman is coming off a 2016 campaign that saw him record 36 saves between Chicago and New York while posting a 1.55 ERA and 14 strikeouts per nine innings.
It’s a massive payday for the dominant Chapman. It also comes at a time when the Yankees themselves have not necessarily been big-time buyers on the free-agent market. Apparently, Brian Cashman and Co. really wanted to shorten the game by bringing in the game’s best relief pitcher. They did just that Wednesday evening.