Clearly This Is Not The Yankees Year So It Might As Well Be The Cubs

The New York Yankees started the season without reliever Aroldis Chapman, who was serving a 30-day suspension. They will finish the season – and may in fact be finished for the season – after trading the flame-throwing lefty to the Chicago Cubs.

If the Cubs had a weakness, it would have been the bullpen. Now that issue is solved. Chapman has converted 20 of 21 save opportunities this season, striking out 44 batters and walking only eight in 31 1/3 innings.

The Cubs have, famously, not won the World Series since 1908. So you’ll excuse them if they’re going all in now. They have best record in baseball, they lead the National League Central division by seven games and they’re now positioned to make that deep run toward the Series.

The Yankees? Well, they’re seven games out in the American League East and in need of refreshing. The Cubs offered that, giving up two of their top prospects (shortstop Gleyber Torres, outfielder/designated hitter Billy McKinney) and a couple more.

The Yankees picked up Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds in December. They probably knew they were renting him, with his contract expiring at season’s end. He’ll be in demand and maybe the Cubs can keep him, but they won’t have to worry about that until they get a test drive.

Their future may now be brighter, but clearly this is not the Yankees’ year. It may well be the Cubs’. And they took one more step to ensure that by acquiring Chapman.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman