Miller, Betances praise addition of Chapman
To say Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances are happy with the addition of flamethrower Aroldis Chapman to an already dominant New York Yankees bullpen would be a huge understatement.
Miller's ninth-inning role may now be in jeopardy with Chapman in the mix, but the lanky lefty is optimistic the pair can find a way to co-exist in 2016 with the common goal of a World Series title.
"I signed with the Yankees to win, and I'm not stupid, (Chapman's) a heck of a pitcher," Miller told Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media. "This is what I signed up for. I signed up to play for the Yankees, to win championships, and if (general manager Brian) Cashman and the Steinbrenners and whoever is part of the decision-making process thinks this is part of the answer, and that this is the way to go about it, that's fine by me."
Betances, who was New York's setup man last season and will now likely assume a seventh-inning role, can't wait to see what the trio of relievers can accomplish.
"I've been thinking about how much fun it will be to have all three of us together," Betances told John Harper of the New York Daily News. "I'm thinking about that one game where we each pitch an inning and strike out all nine batters we face."
The stable of high-leverage relievers gives the Yankees arguably one of the most intimidating bullpens in major-league history, and they have the potential to set all kinds of records next year.
| Player | 2015 WAR | ERA | WHIP | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapman | 2.5 | 1.63 | 1.15 | 41.7 |
| Betances | 2.4 | 1.50 | 0.86 | 40.7 |
| Miller | 2.0 | 1.90 | 1.01 | 39.5 |
Adding Chapman does pose some risk for the Yankees, though. The former Cincinnati Reds closer is currently under investigation by Major League Baseball for his alleged role in a domestic incident, and could face a suspension depending on the findings.
New York's bullpen crafted a respectable 3.70 ERA with an MLB-best 26.3 percent strikeout rate last year without Chapman.