We now know why it was taking so long for Reds closer Aroldis Chapman’s reported trade to the Dodgers to go through.
That’s because Chapman is now under investigation by Major League Baseball following an Oct. 30 incident in which Chapman’s girlfriend accused him of choking her and pushing her against a wall following an argument, per a police report obtained by Yahoo Sports. Chapman also admitted to firing eight shots from a handgun into the garage wall of his home in Miami.
Chapman’s attorney has denied the allegations. Police declined to make arrests “due to conflicting stories and a lack of cooperation from all parties involved,” per the report obtained by Yahoo. Four days after the alleged incident, Assistant State Attorney Marcie Zaccor declined to press charges against Chapman, citing insufficient evidence. Per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Cincinnati Enquirer, both the Reds and MLB have claimed that they unaware of the alleged incident until Monday.
Reds President of Baseball Operations Walt Jocketty would not comment on the alleged incident, but did not rule out a potential deal with the Dodgers, adding a trade of Chapman could “take several weeks.”
The Boston Globe reported late Monday night that the Red Sox considered a possible trade for Chapman in November before turning their attention to Craig Kimbrel after a background check revealed Chapman’s alleged domestic dispute.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported at 10:25 a.m. Monday morning that the Reds and Dodgers had agreed to a Chapman swap pending the review of medical documentation. Minutes later, Jon Heyman of CBS reported that shortstop Corey Seager, left-handed pitcher Julio Urias, and right-handed pitcher Jose De Leon, three of the Dodgers’ top prospects, would not be included in the deal.
At 3:06 p.m. Monday afternoon, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reported that the trade was not yet completed and that “multiple teams could be involved.”