Just as they did last year, the Los Angeles Dodgers took control of headlines at Major League Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings with word they reached an agreement to trade for Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman.
However, by Monday night, those shockwaves took on a negative connotation. Details of the trade, specifically Cincinnati’s return, were nonexistent as the day wore on.
There was some belief an explanation was the trade potentially involved a third team, though that never came to fruition.
It eventually surfaced the deal was halted due to Chapman’s involvement in an alleged domestic violence incident at his home in Florida on Oct. 30.
What’s more, one team believes the electric closer may have suffered a hand injury in the dispute, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:
Sources: At least one team that spoke with #Reds believes that Chapman might have injured a hand in alleged domestic-violence incident.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 8, 2015
Chapman converted 33 saves with a 1.63 ERA, 1.94 FIP, 1.15 WHIP and 116 strikeouts over 66.1 innings (65 appearances) last season for a 64-win Reds team. He’s one of multiple players Cincinnati is believed to be interested in moving as part of a rebuilding process.
With any trade involving Chapman now on hold, his fate lies squarely in the hands of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred as Chapman will be investigated under the league’s new domestic violence policy.
Although arrests were not made at the time of the alleged incident, Chapman is still subject to punishment at Manfred’s discretion.
