MLB Trade Rumors: Aroldis Chapman To Arizona Diamondbacks In Trade With Cincinnati Reds
MLB trade rumors reveal an Aroldis Chapman trade offer has been made by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Fresh MLB trade rumors have the Diamondbacks making an official offer to the Cincinnati Reds, with the proposers waiting for an answer back. A report from CBS Sports confirms that the proposal is in place and that the Diamondbacks are very high on acquiring Chapman.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, MLB trade rumors about Aroldis Chapman have been going on for a while, with the Cincinnati Reds heading into a rebuilding mode. Other players the team has made available are starting pitcher Mike Leake, outfielders Jay Bruce and Marlon Byrd, and middle reliever Manny Parra. Cy Young candidate Johnny Cueto was already traded earlier in the week, with the Reds sending him to the Kansas City Royals. That deal confirmed that the Reds were huge “sellers” heading toward the MLB trade deadline on July 31.
Chapman is the hardest throwing pitcher in baseball, reaching 106 miles per hour earlier in his career. He showcased just how tough it is to hit him during the 2015 MLB All-Star Game, and that may have actually been an audition to show other teams what he can do. Now he is very coveted as the MLB trade deadline approaches, with quite a few teams hot on acquiring him. What might come as a huge surprise is that it is the Arizona Diamondbacks coming through with an official offer for one of the best closers in the game.
Entering play on Thursday, July 31, the Diamondbacks are in third place in the National League West. A nice five-game winning streak has the team back in contention for a wild card spot, even though Arizona is still just 49-51 on the season. Currently, the Diamondbacks trail the second wild card spot by 6 1/2 games and the first place L.A. Dodgers (57-45) by seven games. While not an impossible road, it would be tough for the team to make the 2015 MLB Playoffs.
This season, Chapman gets paid just over $8 million and he has one more arbitration year in the 2016 MLB season. He could get very expensive based on the numbers he has put up with the Cincinnati Reds, but the Diamondbacks really need help in the bullpen area. It still hasn’t been made clear what the Diamondbacks have offered either, but teams like the Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees are also interested in acquiring Aroldis Chapman. It will be very interesting to see how these MLB trade rumors play out.
[Image Source: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images]
