Chapman to the Reds

After all the dust settled, Aroldis Chapman signed with the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds? Really? Cincy was the apparent high bidder for the left-handed Cuban defect at $25 million for 5 years, with an option for a sixth year. According to Alex Speier of WEEI.com, the Red Sox were not involved in the Chapman race after their initial $15.5 million dollar offer back in November. Shortly after that offer was submitted, Chapman switched agents and in turn ended negotiations with the Red Sox.

This is an intriguing move for the Reds. Thus far this off-season, the Reds have made a total of 2 signings, Josh Anderson and Laynce Nix. Anderson is young and has had almost zero production in his limited time in the majors, and Nix is a career .236 hitter who had 81 K’s in just 116 games last season. The move comes as a bit of a surprise, but is great for Sox fans. Let me explain.

What better place to watch a young star emerge than the NL Central? One of the only times the Sox could potentially see the young lefty on the opposing mound is during interleague play, and even then, the Sox don’t play the Reds every year. Besides interleague play, the only other opportunity to meet is in the World Series, and given the Reds budget and record over the previous few years, the likelihood the Sox and Reds play in the postseason is next to zero.

I think Chapman is the real deal and is going to be a strong major-league pitcher for years to come. It will be fun watching him grow and improve from a distance. Good luck in Cincy, Aroldis.