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Tampa, Fla.
Aroldis Chapman is focusing on his return to the New York Yankees, not the World Series ring he earned with the Chicago Cubs.
“I’m here now,” Chapman said through a translator Wednesday before the Yankees’ first spring training workout. “We have a job to be done here. It was kind of like a chapter in my career I turn over and look to the future now.”
New York obtained Chapman in a December 2015 trade with Cincinnati, then dealt the hard-throwing lefty to the Cubs on July 25 for Adam Warren and three minor leaguers.
After helping the Cubs win their first NL pennant since 1945, Chapman played a key role as Chicago ended a World Series drought dating to 1908. He became a free agent and signed an $86 million, five-year deal with the Yankees, the richest contract for a reliever.
Chapman will have the opportunity to bring his 100 mph-plus fastball back to Wrigley Field when New York plays a three-game series against the Cubs from May 5-7.
Chapman says he is looking forward to being a part of the Yankees’ youth movement, which began last summer when catcher Gary Sanchez, outfielder Aaron Judge and first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin were brought up. Greg Bird, sidelined with a shoulder injury for all of last season, is Mark Teixeira’s likely replacement at first base.
Mets: Second baseman Neil Walker dealt with back issues for almost five years and said not a day went by when he didn’t feel some kind of pain. Walker now says he has no reason to tiptoe around for fear of hurting his back after having surgery last September to repair a herniated disk. The Mets are excited about the prospect of a fit Walker, who hit 23 home runs and batted a team-leading .282 as a replacement for Daniel Murphy at second base. Walker, 31, accepted the Mets’ one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer last November, making him the third-highest paid player in the organization behind Yoenis Cespedes and David Wright.
Cardinals: An offspeed pitch during a pre-spring training bullpen session has effectively ended Alex Reyes’ season. The 22-year-old right-hander will have Tommy John surgery to replace a ruptured elbow ligament in his pitching arm.
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