New York Yankees pitcher Jimmy Cordero was served a 76-game ban last week due to violating the domestic violence policy, keeping him out for the entire regular season and the playoffs.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the 31-year-old is suspended due to not adhering to the MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy. Cordero agreed to the length of the ban, as it is one of the longer bans given. It is still fewer than Trevor Bauer‘s, Sam Dyson‘s (162), Jose Torres‘s (100), and Hector Olivera‘s (82). Bauer was suspended 324 games, but it was reduced on appeal to 194.
The right-hand reliever told a few teammates, including Aaron Judge, before the suspension became public as the captain of the Yankees reacted to the news.
“We’re upset,’’ Judge said. “I’m happy the league is doing things to control this, with suspensions. … I know a lot of guys on this team are upset.”
Asked if he would “welcome” Cordero back to the team once the suspension is over, Judge said, “I think that’s a ways away. I’m not sure. I’ll have a better answer for you when the season’s over,” and followed up with “I’ve got his family on my mind. Hopefully, he learns and can use resources to get help.”
Teams are not made aware of the details of the incidents leading to suspensions unless the team is involved, according to the league policy on domestic violence-type cases.
Aaron Boone, manager of the Yankees, said the organization was aware of the investigation for about a week and that Cordero came to him and told him of the situation earlier in the week. He described the conversation as “a little vague and all over [the place]. Just that an investigation was going on.”
“When things like this that are about as serious as it gets come up, there’s a heavy price to be paid,” Boone said. “And certainly I support that, I know the organization supports that. And hopefully, now it turns to genuine healing.”
Boone said he found out about Cordero’s suspension following the Yankees’ game last Tuesday, as he addressed the situation to the team before their game against the Baltimore Orioles last Wednesday.
“My biggest thing right now is having a feeling for the situation and hoping and praying something good comes out of this,” Boone said. “That there’s maturity, learning [and] healing in whatever is going on. Baseball, we’ll deal with that. This is real life and a much more serious situation.”
The team said in a statement, “The Yankees are fully supportive of Major League Baseball’s investigative process and the disciplinary action applied to Jimmy Cordero. There is no justification for domestic violence, and we stand with the objectives, standards, and enforcement of MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.”
Cordero played in 31 games with the Yankees this year and had a WHIP of 1.07 in 32 ²/₃ innings, as he last pitched last Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals and was active the game after. Pitcher Randy Vasquez then filled his roster spot once it was announced that the reliever was out for the year due to suspension.
During his ban, Cordero will not be paid his $720,000 salary, as he is the latest Yankee to be suspended under the league’s domestic violence protocol. New York will have to replace his services quickly, as the 31-year-old pitcher was part of a solid bullpen, one of the better ones in the majors.
Before the 2022 season, the Yankees brought him in on a minor league deal, and spent last year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after recovering from Tommy John surgery.
This isn’t anything new for the Yankees however, as they have had a history of dealing with these domestic violence cases with their players. Domingo German threw the 24th perfect game two weeks ago against the Oakland Athletics but has a history of suspensions, including an 81-game ban he served back in 2019 that trailed into the 2020 season.
Back in 2016, while he was being investigated under the same policy, the Yankees targeted Cincinnati Reds’ pitcher Aroldis Chapman, now with the Texas Rangers, via trade, as he was suspended for only 30 games.
New York will have to rely on a pitcher rotation consisting of German, Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Severino, and Carlos Rodón. Sitting at 49-42 but ranked fourth in the AL East, the Yankees will need to turn around their season fast in the next few games for any chance at a postseason run.
