MLB Rumors: Dodgers no longer considering Aroldis Chapman
The Los Angeles Dodgers are officially out of the running to acquire Aroldis Chapman after a domestic violence accusation surfaced earlier in the week.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are no longer considering a trade for Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman and have moved on to exploring other options, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
Dodgers have moved on from chapman and are weighing Andrew miller among other pitchers and also hitters
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 10, 2015
Los Angeles was very close to acquiring the four-time All-Star earlier in the week for what would surely have been a strong package of prospects earlier this week at the MLB Winter Meetings. However, Florida police released a report detailing a domestic violence incident where Chapman allegedly fired eight gunshots in his garage and choked his girlfriend according to Tim Brown and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, leading the Dodgers to back out of the trade.
Police have since closed the investigation, without any arrests being made. However, the incident is very troubling nonetheless, and many teams rightfully consider Chapman a toxic asset for the time being.
Despite no arrest, Chapman could still be punished under the new MLB domestic violence policy. The league is currently investigating the incident, and a suspension next season is possible.
As such, any trade involving Chapman is likely several weeks away, if he is tradeable at all. After a surprisingly quiet winter meetings where other NL West teams made some big moves, the Dodgers can’t afford to wait that long, and will now look for to other options.
Heyman mentions New York Yankees closer Andrew Miller as a possible target. Miller posted a 1.90 ERA (2.16 FIP) with a strikeout rate of over 40 percent in his first season with the Yankees last year according to FanGraphs.com, and would form a dominant back-end duo with current Los Angeles closer Kenley Jansen if a deal gets done.
The Yankees will be hesitant to break up their own excellent bullpen duo of Miller and Dellin Betances. Still, general manager Brian Cashman could be tempted with the right package of assets to shore up some other weaknesses on an aging club.
Los Angeles has an excellent closer in Jansen, but bullpen depth has been one of the club’s biggest concerns for years. Many of the top relief pitchers are already off the market, so the Dodgers may be in trouble if they can’t swing a trade for Miller. Tyler Clippard is likely the best free agent reliever available, while Washington Nationals reliever Drew Storen may be a potential trade option.