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New York Yankees Trade Rumors: Is Team Doomed Following Aroldis Chapman Injury?

By Ryan DeVault
Published on: 15:39 PST, May 14, 2017

New York Yankees trade rumors have already surfaced following closer Aroldis Chapman getting placed on the disabled list. Without a shutdown closer like Chapman, could the Yankees be in danger of once again missing the MLB Playoffs? A number of closers are already coming up in Yankees trade rumors now, even though Chapman may not be lost for too long. Will the front office in New York make a trade to ensure that the team doesn’t slip too far in the American League East standings?

A report by baseball analyst Bryan Hoch relayed the bad news on Sunday morning (May 14), stating that Chapman would miss at least two to four weeks of time. Yankees general manager president Brian Cashman laid out a plan where Chapman would receive at least two weeks of rest in order to deal with rotator cuff inflammation. The trouble is with the shoulder of his pitching arm, raising alarm bells among fans of the team. With one of the best closers in the league now on the disabled list, the Yankees will turn to Dellin Betances to cover the ninth inning again.

This isn’t the first time that Betances has had to fill in as the Yankees closer, as it is something he did during the 2016 MLB season as well. Betances has the stats to prove he deserves this shot, as he has a minuscule 0.77 ERA through his first 11 2/3 innings pitched in 2017. In 266 1/3 innings of work during his Yankees career, Betances has a 2.10 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.

Due to the unpredictable nature of this Aroldis Chapman injury, it is not surprising that New York Yankees trade rumors have already surfaced. It’s also unsurprising which name is at the top of that list. The Chicago White Sox are still dangling David Robertson in the trade market, and he has familiarity with pitching in New York. It would seem like the perfect match between franchises looking to make a deal, but it could all come down to how long Chapman is on the shelf. Would the Yankees do what it takes to acquire Robertson before the price gets too high?

Chapman was involved in a lot of MLB trade rumors last season, ultimately getting dealt to the Chicago Cubs before the July 31 deadline. It turned out to be a great trade for both teams, as the Yankees were able to accrue several assets and the Cubs netted a closer who helped steer them right to the World Series. Once winning a World Series title with the Cubs, Chapman then re-signed with the Yankees as a free agent. Now Cubs fans are ecstatic on social media, feeling they may have avoided the shoulder problems that have now surfaced.

In the updated MLB standings from Sunday night, the New York Yankees hold down first place in the AL East at 22-13. The Yankees are half a game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles (22-14) and now get a day off after a tough weekend series against the Houston Astros. The Yankees will continue play on Tuesday (May 16), with the first game of a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals. It begins a road trip that will also include three games against the Tampa Bay Rays before the Yankees return home the following Monday (May 22).

Baseball analysts, fantasy baseball owners, and fans of the team are going to be watching the bullpen very closely as Dellin Betances is moved from his primary setup duties to the role of closer. How he performs in his first few appearances as the new closer could dictate the next steps that Brian Cashman decides to take. Betances has struggled closing games in the past, so the leash might be a short one. If he does struggle, expect the latest New York Yankees trade rumors to really take off, especially with David Robertson readily available again.

[Featured Image by Elsa/Getty Images]

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