Aroldis Chapman signs with the Reds
by Scooter on 01/10/2010 in MLB News
This is some what of a surprise being that the Reds weren’t even in the mix, but you know how baseball trades go, you never know what could happen.
According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports: Cuban left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman, whose defection sparked a bidding war among major league teams that coveted his 100-mph fastball, agreed Sunday morning to sign for $30 million with the Cincinnati Reds, sources close the negotiations told Yahoo! Sports.
The Reds had been “going after him like crazy,” according to one source, and outbid several other teams, including the Los Angeles Angels, Florida Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays.
The 22-year-old Chapman’s value has steadily climbed since a Dec. 15 workout in Houston in which he wasn’t throwing at full speed and still hit 97 mph. His potential as a front-of-the-line starter intrigued teams from coast to coast.
The bidding increased from an initial $15.5 million offer from the Boston Red Sox in early December to the highest reported proposal of $23 million from Toronto a few days ago.
Chapman immediately becomes the top prospect in the Reds’ system and could join a dangerous young rotation if Edinson Volquez returns healthy from Tommy John surgery and Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey develop. The Reds had been particularly quiet this offseason, sitting on a team that went 78-84 last year.
$30 million is a huge gamble for a pitcher who has never thrown a pitch in the Major League.
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