New York Yankees principal owner Hal Steinbrenner invoked one of the most basic principles of the American criminal justice system Wednesday in defending the club's acquisition of Aroldis Chapman.
"I guess what I would say is, in this country, when allegations are brought against a person, that person is completely innocent until proven otherwise. Not the other way around," Steinbrenner told reporters at baseball's quarterly owners' meetings. "I think we should keep that in mind right now. A lot of thought was put into it, but the benefits for the organization as a player, if you just look at the baseball side of it, (there’s) tremendous upside, needless to say."
Chapman is currently under investigation by the league after allegedly choking his girlfriend and firing eight shots into his garage during an argument in late October. The allegations were enough for the Los Angeles Dodgers to nix a deal, opening the door for the Yankees to move in three weeks later.
The four-time All-Star's stock dropped significantly following the news of the investigation, as Chapman faces a potentially lengthy suspension under the league's revised domestic violence policy. Once believed to be one of the Cincinnati Reds' best trade chips, the team was forced to accept a return of four mid-level prospects.
Steinbrenner acknowledged his team did its due diligence before acquiring Chapman and believes he's worth the risk.
"Look, I put a lot of thought into it," Steinbrenner said. "Any trade where I'm giving up four prospects - a couple of which are really decent prospects - I put a lot of thought into it.
"Obviously, as a player, he's tremendous. We looked at him in July at the trade deadline. ... A lot of thought was put into it. But the benefits for the organization as a player, if you look at the baseball side of it, is tremendous upside, needless to say."
The Yankees plan to enter spring training with Chapman as their closer, though the league is expected to reach a verdict on a possible suspension no later than March 1.
"I understand it is a very sensitive subject, as rightfully so," Steinbrenner said, "but we just have to wait and see. It's a touchy subject, but again, a man is innocent until proven guilty."
