For those who were holding out hope that the Marlins would be able to lure Aroldis Chapman to Miami with a few bucks and promises of "the comforts of home," it turns out money really does speak just a little bit louder than, well, everything else:
In a stunning move, the Reds have landed prized Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, outbidding several other Major League clubs that were in the running for the left-handed pitcher.
The Reds announced on Monday that they had signed Chapman to a six-year contract, a deal worth $30 million, including a $16.5 million bonus, according to Major League sources.
"This is a very significant signing and an exciting move in the right direction," Reds president of baseball operations and general manager Walt Jocketty said. "We're building an organization that is going to be competitive in the long term. With the caliber of young talent like Chapman, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey and Mike Leake to complement veterans Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang, we're very excited about the potential of our starting rotation."
No big shock that the Fish won't be signing Aroldis Chapman, but it is interesting that the Reds, of all teams, are the ones to nab him. I'm curious to see how Chapman pans out.