New York Yankees: Five burning questions entering offseason

19 FEB 2016: New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances (68) and New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) during a New York Yankees Spring Training workout at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire) (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

New York Yankees: 5 Burning Questions

Will Aroldis Chapman opt out of his contract?

As Aroldis Chapman walked off the field in game six of the ALCS having given up a walk-off home run to Jose Altuve, he wore a smile on his face. Don’t be mistaken, the smile was most certainly a mask hiding all the frustrations building up inside.

Now, he will face one of the toughest decisions of his career: whether or not to opt-out of his current contract.

If Chapman decides to walk away from the remaining $34.5M of his contract, he could be risking falling under the same circumstances as another elite closer: Craig Kimbrel.

Kimbrel struggled to find a team last offseason and ended up starting the 2019 MLB season in free agency. It wasn’t until the Chicago Cubs became desperate mid-season that he was able to secure a deal. By then he was only able to get a 3-year, $43M deal ($14.33M AAV) with vesting options.

Currently, Chapman’s deal pays him north of $17M per season through 2021. The only way I can see Chappy opting out is if he and the Yankees can come to terms on an extension, perhaps adding two more years to his current contract.

One thing is for sure, with bullpen arms being hard to find around the league, I can’t see the Yankees without Chapman next season.

My prediction is: he stays and gets two more years tacked on to his current deal.

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