TAMPA, Fla. — When the Yankees traded for Aroldis Chapman in late December, they did so with minimal risk. Here was a four-time All-Star closer, the man with the hardest fastball in recorded history and the best strikeout ratio of any pitcher ever with at least 300 career innings. And he came cheap.
Brian Cashman pounced. Cashman, the Yankees’ general manager, acquired a star from the Cincinnati Reds without sacrificing a top prospect. The only downside was the possibility that Chapman would be suspended under baseball’s new domestic-violence policy and the fallout from welcoming a player under investigation.