The New York Yankees have been uncharacteristically quiet this offseason season, though that changed quickly when they traded for the flame-throwing lefty relief pitcher, Aroldis Chapman. Soon after the trade, the Internet was set on fire for various reasons. For one, and I’ll touch on this a bit, Chapman is currently under investigation for an alleged domestic violence dispute, which took place back in October. While no punishment has been given to Chapman yet, the feeling around baseball is that commissioner Rob Manfred is going to take his time to make a decision, which is wise considering the backlash the NFL continues to get regarding their domestic abuse policies. There’s no real way of knowing how long Chapman could be suspended for; it could be 15 games, it could be 50. Heck, it could even be the entire season. Regardless, the Yankees felt the offer was too good to turn down on their end, which is why they ultimately ended up trading for Chapman.

Why the Yankees made this trade

There is no denying what Chapman brings to the field. Over the past six seasons, Chapman has been one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant relief pitcher in all of baseball. While the bullpen was not an area of desperate need for the Yankees, they felt that the potential of having a Betances-Miller-Chapman trio was way too good to pass up. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has to be monitoring Boston’s moves closely this offseason and saw what they did to restructure their bullpen, so he simply one-upped them. Chapman, Andrew Miller, and Dellin Betances each finished 1-2-3 last season in strikeouts per nine innings, which makes them the best bullpen trio in all of baseball, and by a mile.

There are many interesting things that can come into play here regarding Chapman on the Yankees. If he’s simply suspended 15 games, the Yankees just wait a few weeks and then add the best reliever in baseball to the back of their bullpen. However, if he’s suspended, say, 40 games or more, then the Yankees get an extra year of Chapman in 2017, who is set to hit free agency after the 2016 season, as of now.

The Yankees have been consistent on their interest in Chapman, as they inquired about him this past trade deadline and earlier in the offseason before the news broke about his domestic violence incident. Had it not been for that incident, we would instead be talking about the Kenley Jansen/Chapman combo at the back end of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen. Funny how things work out.

At the end of the day, the Yankees’ biggest need is a young, controllable starter. It’s no secret that the Yankees have a weakness in their starting pitching, but adding a relief pitcher like this shortens the game for the Yanks, as their starters now have to go just six innings before turning the ball over to the three-headed monster. The package the Cincinnati Reds acquired in this deal is nowhere near what they would have gotten for Chapman had they traded him at the deadline, which is why the Brian Cashman and the Yankees jumped at the opportunity they were given.

Why the Reds made this trade

I’m not a GM for a reason, but Walt Jocketty should have pulled the trigger on trading Chapman long before now. It was obvious to everyone the direction Cincinnati was headed, and it was only a matter of time until they started selling off pieces. It started with Mike Leake going to the San Francisco Giants at this year’s trade deadline, and it continued with Todd Frazier heading to the south side of Chicago a few weeks ago. Pitchers break down easily, which is why Chapman would have been gone last season had I been in charge (no, this is not a pitch for me to become a GM). Given the circumstances, it’s impossible to predict something like this happening off the field, which makes it an even tougher pill to swallow for Cincinnati and their fans. However, they did get four prospects back in the deal, two of which could have impact on the major league level.

Rookie Davis is a pitcher they got back in the deal, who some view as a future #3 starter, while others in the industry believe he will end up being a #5 or a long-relief man. Regardless, he has a few good pitches, including a big swooping curve that has a lot of movement. They also acquired Eric Jagielo, who is a former top Yankees’ prospect who has been riddled with injuries in the minors. He’s a third baseman for now, though most people within the industry don’t believe his glove will play there in the majors. Nonetheless, there’s no reason to believe that Jagielo won’t be a useful player in the majors at some point. The Bronx Bombers drafted Jags in the first round in the 2013 draft out of Notre Dame, and he has since put up an .825 OPS in the minors.

The other two players in the trade are said to be just “organizational players” and aren’t expected to have a major league impact. The fact that the Reds were able to get two potential major league players for Chapman right now is a huge plus, as many reporters this past week or so have been calling him “the most untradeable player in baseball right now.” Apparently not. If you perform well on the field, no matter what you do off the field, there will always be teams lining up for your talents. Just look at Greg Hardy (and now Chapman).

What this trade means for you

If you’re a Chapman owner, you have to be happy about the landing spot. Chances are if Chapman is one the field in 2016, he will be the Yankees’ closer. It’s not like Andrew Miller is going to fight him for it, as Miller came on board prior to the 2015 season expecting to be the setup man to Dellin Betances. There will be plenty of save opportunities in New York, and the relievers that come before Chapman aren’t likely to blow a late-inning lead. Last season, the Yankees were 66-3 leading after six innings, 73-2 leading after seven innings, and 81-0 leading after the eighth inning (via Sweeny Murti). As a Chapman owner, the hope has to be that he gets a short suspension and starts striking guys out left and right by the beginning of May. There’s no telling how big the punishment will be right now, but chances are Manfred and company take a while to gather evidence and ponder this decision.