Reds Still Exploring Aroldis Chapman Trades

The Cincinnati Reds are still exploring probable deals for five-year right-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman days before the MLB trade deadline. The Reds recently traded another pitcher in Johnny Cueto to the Kansas City Royals.

Buster Olney of ESPN reported the possibility of another pitcher traded by the Reds for young prospects. The Cueto trade netted the Reds left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed.

The Reds are currently at 44 wins against 54 losses for the season, one of the worst records in the entire MLB. After they traded away Cueto and now, possibly Chapman, it appears Cincinnati is prepared to give up on a postseason slot. Chapman, who is set to hit free agency after the season, has played the last five seasons with the Reds. In his MLB career, the 27-year-old from Holguín province, Cuba has a win-loss record of 18-20 with 2.23 ERA, 504 strikeouts and 133 saves.

Chapman, who has made the MLB All-Star squad the last four seasons, is seen as a valuable commodity in the trade market. Chapman has recorded the fastest pitch speed in league history with 105.1 mph, most consecutive relief appearances with a strikeout and the fastest MLB player in history to record 500 strikeouts. For the current season, he has 1.69 ERA with 75 strikeouts and 20 saves in 43 games.

Chapman played on the Cuban national team at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2007 Baseball World Cup in Taipei.