Aroldis Chapman keeps making himself extremely unlikable.
On Sunday, with the Yankees holding a workout day and some news conferences at Yankee Stadium in preparation for their upcoming postseason series against the Cleveland Guardians, it was announced that Chapman would not be part of the festivities.
“Chappie will not be on the postseason roster,” manager Aaron Boone stated. “He was scheduled to be here Friday as part of our workout, was not and [gave] what I thought was not an acceptable excuse. So, I’ve had him stay away for now.”
Neither Boone nor general Brian Cashman would disclose what the excuse was. Chapman was fined by the team and may face disciplinary action as well. Part of the plan for Friday was for Chapman to throw live batting practice against the Yankees’ hitters. As of right now, he is in Miami, where he flew after the Yankees’ regular season ended in Texas and never came back.
“I just felt like him not being here was not okay,” said Boone, who would not rule out Chapman for the rest of the postseason should the Yankees advance. “It was best for him to stay away for now.”
Cashman said the decision to exclude Chapman from the ALDS roster was made entirely by Boone, and both men had separate conversations with Chapman and his agents over the phone to discuss the situation.
“You’ve gotta be all in at this time of year,” said Cashman, who also said he’s never had a player no show a mandatory postseason workout. “It’s disappointing that he effectively made that type of decision. He was competing for a spot on the roster. I can’t give any more information, it’s just disappointing.”
No Chapman means one fewer decision for the Yankees to make in regards to their bullpen construction. They do not have to turn in their final ALDS roster until Monday. In addition to his domestic violence suspension in 2016, Chapman also missed time this season after getting a tattoo that became infected, warranting a stint on the injured list. This latest episode, which comes just a month before he’s set to hit free agency, only further tarnishes what has been a disastrous off-the-field career for a player who has a habit of disgusting behavior.
“He wasn’t here,” Boone said flatly. “I think he questioned whether he was going to be on the roster or not. I think there was a chance that he absolutely could have been. It’s a moot point now. I considered every angle, but ultimately decided this is the way we wanted to go.”
Chapman has pitched in 17 postseason games for the Yankees and posted a 2.81 ERA in his final 18 appearances of the regular season, holding batters to a .137 batting average. He will not, as his manager made clear as day, have any chance to see how that end of the season would have translated into a best-of-five series with the Guardians.
“He needed to be here,” Boone remarked. “I was disappointed. We gotta move on and get ready for a really good opponent.”
