As expected, Aroldis Chapman has been suspended under the league’s domestic violence policy following an October incident at his home in Miami. Chapman has been suspended 30 regular season games by commissioner Rob Manfred and he will not appeal, which runs counter to what he said a few weeks ago. In the meantime, Chapman will be allowed to pitch in Spring Training games but not minor league games during the season. He’s free to use the team’s complex to stay sharp.
“I asked my staff to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the incident involving Aroldis Chapman on October 30, 2015,” said Manfred in a statement. “Much of the information regarding the incident has been made public through documents released by law enforcement. Mr. Chapman submitted to an in-person interview with counsel present. After reviewing the staff report, I found Mr. Chapman’s acknowledged conduct on that day to be inappropriate under the negotiated Policy, particularly his use of a firearm and the impact of that behavior on his partner. I am gratified that Mr. Chapman has taken responsibility for his conduct, that he has agreed not to appeal the 30-game suspension, and that he has agreed to comply with the confidential directives of the Joint Policy Board established under the parties’ Policy to ensure that a similar incident does not occur in the future.”
In addition to the suspension, Chapman must also meet with a treatment board, reports Billy Witz. The board will determine whether any additional discipline is warranted, such as counseling or the relinquishment of weapons. The 30-game suspension will cost Chapman roughly $1.7M in salary and 35 days of service time. That will not delay his free agency. Chapman will still hit the open market next winter. He will be eligible to return on May 9th, for the first of four home games against the Royals.
“Today, I accepted a 30 game suspension from Major League Baseball resulting from my actions on October 30, 2015,” said Chapman in a statement. “I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening. However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to my actions, and for that I am sorry. The decision to accept a suspension, as opposed to appealing one, was made after careful consideration. I made this decision in an effort to minimize the distractions that an appeal would cause the Yankees, my new teammates and most importantly, my family. I have learned from this matter, and I look forward to being part of the Yankees’ quest for a 28th World Series title. Out of respect for my teammates and my family, I will have no further comment.”
Back in October police were called to Chapman’s home after his girlfriend alleged he pushed and choked her during a party. Chapman admitted to police he fired eight shots from his legally owned handgun in his garage. Here is the police report. No arrests were made that night and Chapman will not face criminal charges, though Manfred has the power to suspend players under the domestic violence policy even without an arrest or charges. The gunshots all but ensured Chapman would be suspended. Manfred can’t let that go unpunished.
Chapman was one of three players under investigation under the domestic violence policy. Both Jose Reyes (for this) and Yasiel Puig (for this) are under investigation as well, though Chapman is the first to be suspended. Reyes is facing criminal charges after putting his wife in the hospital over the winter. His trial begins in April and MLB has placed him on paid administrative leave for the time being. That is separate from his inevitable suspension. Puig was in a bar fight, though there were no arrests or charges filed.
A 30-game suspension is more than expected, to be honest. I figured Chapman would get 15 games or something like that. Normal usage means the Yankees are going to lose something like 10-12 Chapman relief appearances early in the season, which is no big deal from a baseball standpoint. This was a sensitive subject, and I’m happy the suspension has been handed down and Chapman is not appealing. I can’t imagine anyone wanted this to drag on any longer.
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