Cashman: Yankees have reached out to Chapman

The New York Yankees are interested in reuniting with free-agent closer Aroldis Chapman, whom they shipped to Chicago ahead of the trade deadline, and general manager Brian Cashman said he has already reached out to the 29-year-old's representative.

"Yeah," Cashman told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com when asked if he's contacted Chapman. "Yup. I've started making my phone calls to free agents. I've reached out to a number of them."

Acquired by the Yankees last winter in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, Chapman was suspended for the first month of 2016 for violating the league's domestic violence policy, but dominated upon returning, crafting a 2.01 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP and 36.7 percent strikeout rate in 31 appearances before getting traded to the eventual World Series champions. Together with Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller (who was also traded in July), Chapman helped the Yankees' bullpen compile a 4.7 WAR with a 3.78 ERA (3.53 FIP) prior to the All-Star break.

Since making his MLB debut in 2010, Chapman has logged more WAR than every reliever except Craig Kimbrel, fashioning a 2.08 ERA and limiting opponents to a .154 batting average in 383 appearances while converting 90 percent of his save opportunities (182-for-203).

Though Betances could close for the Yankees next year - he took over the ninth-inning job down the stretch, and owns 2.16 ERA and 39.8 percent strikeout rate for his career - Cashman said he isn't prepared to anoint the 28-year-old right-hander the closer for 2017 just yet.

"I just want to bring in more talent," Cashman said. "It's too early to say who's going to do what. It depends how the winter goes. He finished the season as our closer. So until or unless I find something better, which is pretty hard to do, but so right now he'd be the closer if the season was starting today but it's not."

Chapman, who was not eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Cubs, is expected to draw plenty of interest this winter, and will likely land a deal that eclipses the four-year, $50-million contract Jonathan Papelbon received from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011, the largest ever for a relief pitcher.