Chicago Cubs: Aroldis Chapman dishes on World Series usage

Aroldis Chapman was pushed to the brink in the World Series, but did he agree with his manager’s decisions?

Speaking to the media for the first time since signing his five-year deal with the New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman offered a few very candid thoughts on his usage in the 2016 World Series with the Chicago Cubs. If you’ve forgotten, Chapman pitched in five of the seven games of the series, including 1.1 frames in Game 6. He entered that game with a 7-2 lead and remained in the game even after the Cubs went up 9-3.

By the end of Game 7, Chapman was clearly gassed. He gave up a game-tying home run in the eighth inning, with his fastball only reaching the mid-90s. All told, Chapman threw 15.2 innings in the postseason in 13 appearances. His ERA in the playoffs was an uncharacteristic 3.44. Chapman had not pitched in an extended postseason during his time with the Cincinnati Reds.

Maddon had previously defended his use of Chapman in the World Series. In the end, it all worked out for Maddon and Chapman, but there would have been long-lasting questions had the Cubs lost the World Series. Knowing that they were not going to make a serious run at Chapman in free agency, the Cubs made every effort to extract as many innings as possible from their expensive trade piece.

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Chapman also spoke openly about why the Yankees stood out as his top choice in free agency. He was traded to New York in the midst of domestic abuse allegations, and the team helped him work through his personal issues. The Miami Marlins had also pursued Chapman aggressively, but he was not interested in dealing with erratic owner Jeffrey Loria. In his time with the Yankees last year, Chapman saved 20 games and struck out 44 in 31.1 innings.