Dodgers set to land fireballing closer Chapman
Deal awaits medical approval; Red Sox land lefty Miley; Reliever Soria back to K.C.
The Cincinnati Reds agreed to trade hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman to the Los Angeles Dodgers, pending approval of medical records, according to a person familiar with the deal.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the agreement had not been announced.
Chapman, a 27-year-old left-hander, is eligible for free agency after next year’s World Series. He threw the 62 fastest pitches in MLB this season, ranging from 103.92 m.p.h. to 102.36 m.p.h.
“We go through this at the trade deadline at the end of July and now we have a bunch of players with names out there, so it’s uncomfortable enough,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “So if anything happens with any of our guys, it would be nice if it happened sooner rather than later, but that’s just the nature of the beast.”
Chapman was an all-star in each of the last four seasons. He joins a bullpen that already has closer Kenley Jansen, who like Chapman is eligible for salary arbitration this winter and can become a free agent next November. Jansen, 28, has 80 saves during the last two seasons. He figures to be the Dodgers’ set-up man if he stays.
After defecting from Cuba in 2009, Chapman spent the last six seasons with the Reds and saved146 games in 164 chances. MILEY A MARINER: The freewheeling Seattle Mariners were busy again, trading one-time closer Carson Smith and swingman Roenis Elias to the Boston Red Sox for lefthander Wade Miley and reliever Jonathan Aro.
Acquired from Arizona at last year’s winter meetings, the 29-year-old Miley was 11-11 with a 4.46 ERA in his only season in Boston, and is 49-46 in five big league campaigns. He is owed $6 million (U.S.) next year and $8.75 million in 2017, part of a threeyear, $19.25-million contract. SORIA RETURNS: The Royals reached into their past, agreeing to a three-year, $25 million contract with late-inning reliever Joakim Soria, who was their closer from 2007-11.
Soria, 31, posted a 2.53 ERA for Detroit and Pittsburgh in 2015 and was the Tigers’ primary closer at midseason.
The AL champions also re-signed six-foot-10 starter Chris Young to a two-year, $11.5-million contract after going 11-6 with a 3.06 ERA this past season. CONSOLATION PRIZE: The Dodgers weren’t done after the Chapman talks. L.A., which lost the Zack Greinke sweepstakes to the Diamondbacks, agreed to a three-year, $45-million deal with free-agent starter Hisashi Iwakuma.
The Dodgers will also forfeit a high draft pick since the Mariners had made a qualifying offer to the 34year-old right-hander, who went 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA (highest of his bigleague career) in 2015. DANGLING FERNANDEZ: The Miami Marlins are asking for “an absurd haul” in exchange for ace Jose Fernandez, Fox Sports reported.
The Dodgers, again, were in the mix for the fire-balling starter, and the teams have a history of swinging big deals at the winter meetings. Last year, the Marlins landed batting champion Dee Gordon, veteran starter Dan Haren and a load of L.A. cash to pay them. The Dodgers, though, have said they won’t part with top prospects Julio Urias and Corey Seager.