More than some New York Yankees fans may have thought, the loss of Michael King will have a significant impact.
You witnessed what transpired at the Subway Series conclusion on Wednesday night.
King would enter the game in the eighth or ninth inning if he were present, and the game is probably not lost in a walk-off.
King’s injury only has one positive aspect: it happened before the trade deadline, allowing general manager Brian Cashman to make the necessary changes for the season’s remaining two to three months.
What is certain is that this bullpen, in its current form, will cause Yankees supporters to have high blood pressure in October.
The sole reliable choice is Clay Holmes, however some tension has been eased by Lucas Luetge’s comeback and Ron Marinaccio’s ascent.
In spite of his impressive statistics, Wandy Peralta isn’t as dependable as we had anticipated (or perhaps manager Aaron Boone isn’t using him to his full potential).
Miguel Castro poses a risk. Jonathan Loaisiga is not at all like himself in 2021.
When he’s absolutely not solid, Albert Abreu is reliable. Even Holmes has recently experienced some difficulty walking.
Aroldis Chapman is another; many supporters just want him off the roster, which doesn’t seem like an unreasonable request.
Is it still a possibility for the Yankees before the deadline?
Would the Yankees include a prospect in a deal to trade for Aroldis Chapman?
The Yankees may not have had time to allow Chapman to “regain his confidence,” something he hasn’t had since the 2019 ALCS, in their eyes.
Not a ripe 24-year-old hoping to rebound from a few poor performances, but a 34-year-old veteran.
Chapman has now been unsuccessful for a total of 1.5 seasons, and the contract extension he agreed to after the 2019 season only seems to get worse.
We don’t really need to discuss it any more.
In any case, the last year of his three-year contract has him liable for $16 million in debt, so selling him would save the Yankees about $7 million.
Would it be impossible to attach a top-15 talent to Chapman before the deadline in order to salary dump him somewhere else?
A top-20 and a lottery ticket, perhaps? Are we crazy to even ask this question?
Chapman’s value was negative in 2022 (-0.5 WAR), and he is infamous for losing it in crucial postseason situations. Is this anything the roster can use?
It should be Loaisiga if anyone is going to be given some breathing room to settle back into a routine and regain confidence.
The Yankees cannot afford for two former key bullpen contributors to spend the second half introspecting. Keep one, fire the other who makes a higher pay, and bring on Richard Rodriguez and two more in August.
Even though it doesn’t seem all that difficult, the Yankees won’t look for innovative ways to make it happen. Well, at least we can dream, right?
