HOUSTON -- It was calculating, bending the bounds of personal ethics with a win-at-all-cost mentality. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner looked the other way with Aroldis Chapman this winter, valuing the potential of a 105 mph fastball over morality.
With Chapman, in the words of GM Brian Cashman, an "asset that was in distress" because of his domestic violence allegations, Steinbrenner pounced like a shark taking advantage of a foreclosure sale.
Steinbrenner signed off on the ruthless winter move, acquiring Chapman at a discounted price from the the Reds and allowing his cut-throat Steinbrenner DNA to present itself for the world to see, albeit in a much quieter fashion than his father.