NASHVILLE — The Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds have agreed on a trade that would send pitcher Aroldis Chapman to Los Angels for a pair of unknown prospects, according to reports Monday. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com was first with the news.
Update (7:30 p.m.): An MLB investigation into allegations of domestic violence against Chapman have put the trade proposal on hold. Yahoo! Sports was first to report the news. Read more here.
Chapman, baseball’s hardest thrower, has averaged 36 saves a season each of the last four years for some struggling Reds teams. He has a 2.17 ERA, 146 saves and a whopping 546 strikeouts in 319 innings pitched in his career.
In Chapman and Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers would have arguably the best right-handed and left-handed closers in the National League. The question of how to use the two, both of whom are in their final years of salary arbitration, would present an enviable problem for any team.
Update (12 p.m.): Based on what I’ve heard from baseball sources today, I don’t believe either Grant Holmes or Jose De Leon will be part of the package going to Cincinnati. The trade has yet to be completed so the names still have time to change, but that would affirm a tweet earlier today by David Vassegh of KLAC (570-AM) that no Dodgers pitching prospects are involved in the deal. That would also rule out Julio Urias, the Dodgers’ top prospect.
If the Reds are interested in position players and the Dodgers don’t include any players on the 40-man roster, the names to watch include Single-A first baseman Cody Bellinger or outfielder Alex Verdugo, or Double-A catcher Kyle Farmer.
If other teams become involved the trade, the names are only more likely to change. That’s entirely possible:
