Yankees officially sign Chapman to 5-year, $86M deal
Welcome back to the Bronx, Aroldis Chapman.
The flame-throwing closer officially returned to the New York Yankees on Thursday when the team announced he'd signed a five-year, $86-million deal with the club.
It's the largest contract ever handed out to a reliever, surpassing Mark Melancon's four-year, $62-million deal he signed with San Francisco earlier this offseason.
Related: 10 biggest reliever contracts in baseball history
The contract includes an opt-out after the 2019 season, and also reportedly includes a full no-trade clause the first three years, and a partial clause in the final two seasons, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Chapman can also not be traded to any team in California without his consent.
Chapman spent the first half of 2016 with the Yankees, and posted a 2.01 ERA and 0.894 WHIP while saving 20 games over that span; he was suspended for the first 30 games of the season for violating the league's domestic violence policy. The 28-year-old was dealt to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline for a package that included top prospec Gleyber Torres. Chapman helped the Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years during his brief tenure on the North Side.
To make room on the 40-man roster, New York designated pitcher Nick Goody for assignment.