Skip to main content

Okay With Chapman


I have to say, the sticker price has me in shock. As someone who loved Mariano Rivera (still my favorite athlete of all-time), I am having a hard time imagining a closer in pinstripes making $17M per year that isn't, you know, Mariano Rivera! But as the saying goes, "that's baseball, Suzyn". And that's baseball, especially in today's market. 

Yes, I really did like Andrew Miller more than Chapman. I actually, really, really, really liked Miller! Still do. But, here we are. Needing a closer. And Chapman fits the bill without us losing a draft pick. 

Am I concerned? Of course. Anytime your team commits to any star long term, there is that trepidation. Five years is a long time for a reliever, and the last time a reliever got that, it didn't go so well (Remember B.J. Ryan and the Blue Jays?). 


More questions come into play such as, will he lose his fastball? How will he age? And of course, what does he have left after the Cubs used him like the rented commodity that they viewed his as? 

While those answers are on the table, a part of me remembers that he is indeed Aroldis Chapman. He's not B.J. Ryan, or even Mark Melancon, or Jonathan Papelbon - the other three big time reliever contracts. Chapman is Chapman. The dude is indeed a stud. In fact, I had bleacher seats in the bullpen several times this past season prior to him heading to Wrigleyville, and the dude is an absolute beast. 

And honestly, if he loses his fastball, that leaves him at what, 98mph? At the worst 96mph?

So yeah, I'm feeling a bit better. Chapman is back in tow, and you know what? I'm okay with it. I'm okay with Chapman. Betances can now slide back into the set-up role, pitching the eighth, or high leverage situations prior to that, along with Clippard. If we can add one more piece, possibly a lefty (Boone Logan?), I'll be really content about the bullpen for 2017. 

Nonetheless, I'm sure this is just the beginning of some more moves this off-season. With the Chapman deal complete, I'm sure, issues like moving Headley and/or Gardner are now on the front burner. 

Baseball's off-season, gotta love it. 
Labels:

Recently Read

Dome Pondering Move Review: Say You Will (2017)

What is it about? A recent high school graduate cares for his mother while attempting to navigate his first relationship following his father's suicide.  Who is in it? Travis Tope - Sam Nimitz Katherine Hughes - Ellie Vaughn Favorite Scene: [spoiler alert] Sam plays his song for his mom. Favorite Quote: Ellie: "I wish we could have met down the road, maybe when we were like 27." Sam: "I think we needed each other now." Review:  Say You Will was an absolutely pleasant surprise of a watch from the Amazon Prime offerings.  I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this one, but after the credits rolled, it was a movie that provided authentic characters and a great lesson on life. We don't always have to have everything figured out, and it's okay if you don't.  What makes Say You Will so beautiful is that all of the characters are carrying some inner struggle that connects them in the moment and time that helps them through whatever it is. The unlike...
Read more

The Pondering 10 - Most Fascinating Things of 2025

2025 sure did ebb and flow.  Is it just me, or did August through December zoom by? Nonetheless, we are at that time of the year again, which brings about some common traditions around these parts - the Pondering 10 Most Fascinating Things of the Year, and then the Dome Pondering Year in Review .  (Most Fascinating Things: 2015 , 2016 , 2017 , 2018 , 2019 , 2020 , 2021 ,  2022 , 2023 , & 2024 ) Life really presented itself in unique ways this year, with a sense of a deeper layer of belonging and purpose, more so than what society has reflected since the pandemic. 2025 brought a deeper understanding of life through war, disaster, politics, the human spirit, and appreciation, among other things.  We'll get into that in the Year in Review.  For now, let's run it! Here is my Most Fascinating Things list for 2025: --- 10. Marjorie Taylor Greene Oh yeah, we're going there. MJT makes the very end of the list with a recent change in political positioning. I find it ...
Read more

Dome Pondering - 2025 Year in Review

2025 brought depth and growth.  In many ways, 2025 provided so many challenges and opportunities, allowing for a deeper, more layered approach to the world we live in. Our world is changing, and often, not for the better. Over the last 365 days, life has been more complex, more exhausting, and is asking so much more of us through these transitions and nuances than it did 365 days ago.  No big deal, right?  But hey, you're here. We're here. And we're going into 2026 much stronger, whether we realize it or not. But before we do, let's bid adieu to 2025.  As always, I'm incredibly gratefu l to those of you who still visit this little speck of the internet that houses my thoughts, rambles, and learnings. Thank you for taking a break from instant dopamine hits and videos, and likely the much cooler options of prepared content and indulging my humbled words. It is much appreciated.  It's the 20th annual - TWENTY YEARS of doing this! - Dome Pondering Year in Review. Le...
Read more