Nationals’ Baker supports Reds’ embattled Chapman
Reliever’s former skipper questions allegations of domestic violence
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dusty Baker has never had much of a filter when dealing with the media, which makes him a favorite of baseball writers and other who cover the sport.
A year away from the game hasn’t changed Baker, who was hired as manager by the Washington Nationals on Nov. 3. He was out of baseball last season after being fired by the Cincinnati Reds as their manager following the 2013 season.
Baker created quite a stir during his session with the media Tuesday on the second day of baseball’s Winter Meetings when asked about Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, who is accused of domestic violence after allegedly choking his girlfriend Oct. 30 at their Davie, Fla., home.
Police said Tuesday that no charges were filed because of insufficient evidence. But Chapman still could be subject to punishment under the domestic-violence program agreed upon this year by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.
The allegations also reportedly could scuttle a trade the Reds had in place to send Chapman to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Baker, who managed Chapman from 2010 to 2013, gushed about the left-hander from Cuba.
“Oh, he’s a heck of a guy. I mean, a heck of a guy. I’ll go on record and say I wouldn’t mind having Chapman,” Baker said. “No, no, he is a tremendous young man with a great family, mom and dad, and what he went through to get here and what his family had to go through to get here. I was with him through the whole process.
“There was a couple times when I had to stop him from quitting or going back to Cuba because he was lonely for his family. So I went through a lot of stuff with Chapman. I got nothing but love for the young man.”
Baker said of the domesticviolence allegations against Chapman: “I don’t believe reports. Who knows why? I’m not one to judge on how the whole thing happened. ... I mean, who’s to say the allegations are true. And who’s to say what you would have done or what caused the problem.”
Baker later backtracked and told ESPN’s Pedro Gomez that he does not condone domestic violence.
Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes and Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig also allegedly were involved in domestic-dispute cases in recent weeks.
MLB is still investigating all three cases, chief baseball officer Joe Torre said.
In other news from the meetings:
Tuesday was reunion day for Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon.
In the afternoon, the Cubs officially signed free-agent right-hander John Lackey to a two-year, $32 million contract after agreeing to terms with him last week. Maddon was on the coaching staff in 2002 when Lackey was a rookie and helped pitched the Anaheim Angels to the World Series title.
In the evening, the Cubs agreed to terms with super utility player Ben Zobrist on a four-year, $56 million deal in free agency.
While the Zobrist deal was struck after Maddon’s media availability, the manager was thrilled to be able to add the 37-year-old Lackey into the Cubs’ rotation behind right-hander Jake Arrieta and left-hander Jon Lester. Lackey was 13-10 with a 2.77 ERA in 33 starts for the St. Louis Cardinals last season.
The Cardinals finished first in the National League Central ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs in the regular season. But the Cubs beat the Cardinals in a NL Division Series.
“John is one of the best competitors I’ve ever been around,” Maddon said. “You see it from the outside looking in. He demands a lot on a daily basis when he plays, of himself and his team, and I love it.
“I really believe that the particular kind of edge that John provides is really going to be helpful for us moving forward. I like the idea of coming off the kind of year that we had to really add this kind of a personality to the group, I think, would really benefit us even more. Our veterans within the group are already spectacular, and now you add John Lackey. Couldn’t be more excited.”
The Cubs added another starting pitcher Tuesday night when they acquired right-hander Adam Warren and a player to be named from the New York Yankees for infielder Starlin Castro. Warren, 28, was 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA in 43 games last season.
Castro, 25, will be the Yankees’ primary second baseman after hitting .265 with 11 home runs and 69 RBIs in 151 games in 2015.
The Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Zack Greinke finalized their six-year, $206.5 million contract that was agreed upon Friday.
Greinke went 19-3 with a major league-best 1.66 ERA in 32 starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting to Arrieta.
“Zack fills the frontline starter need we’ve been exploring for a while,” Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart said. “He is an established, proven competitor, and his body of work speaks for itself. Zack will be a tremendous influence on our young starters.”
One of those young starters will be 25-year-old right-hander Shelby Miller, whom the Diamondbacks acquired from the Atlanta Braves. Miller was 6-17 last season but had a 3.02 ERA in 33 starts.