Report: Aroldis Chapman to be traded by end of the weekend
So far, we know that the Cincinnati Reds are listening on all of their players, including franchise players like Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips. Their most movable piece, however, seems to be Aroldis Chapman.
The flame-throwing closer is entering his final season before free agency, so it would make sense for a team to acquire him prior to the start of the season, keeping intact a potential qualifying offer.
According to Peter Gammons, Chapman could be moved as soon as this weekend:
Chapman is likely one of two elite options at closer on the trade market (Craig Kimbrel being the other), but Chapman is much cheaper and doesn't carry a multi-year contract.
There are plenty of teams that need a closer, but don't be surprised if Chapman lands on a team that already has a ninth-inning guy. With the success of the Kansas City Royals, teams could look to duplicate the "superpen" strategy to shorten games for their starters.
In 2015, Chapman pitched to a 1.63 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings.
