Chapman doesn't recall pre-trade conversation with Cubs execs

The Chicago Cubs said they only made the trade for Aroldis Chapman official after having a frank conversation about his off-field behavior and being satisfied with his answers.

Chapman appears to have a slightly different version of Monday's events.

In his introductory press conference with the Chicago media on Tuesday, the flame-throwing closer told reporters that his conversation with team president Theo Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer, and chairman Tom Ricketts occurred as he was waking up from a nap. Chapman said that he was "sleepy and tired" and therefore did not remember specifics of the conversation.

Epstein spoke to reporters after Chapman's availability and maintained that the front office was direct with their new reliever, saying there were issues translating the conversation from Spanish to English.

"It happened and it was real," Epstein explained. "The call was meaningful and he was very direct."

In a Spanish language interview with Pedro Gomez of ESPN, Chapman said the Cubs expect him to be "a good person off the field and a great neighbor."

Chapman was suspended by Major League Baseball for the first 30 games of 2016 after allegedly choking his girlfriend and firing his gun; no charges were filed against him by police. The 28-year-old expressed regret for his actions in a statement released by the Cubs moments after the trade was announced on Monday afternoon.

Related: Chapman addresses domestic violence issue

When he first returned from his suspension in May, however, Chapman was singing a slightly different tune, telling reporters that "I didn't do anything."

Ricketts released his own statement Monday that he, Epstein, and Hoyer "shared with (Aroldis) the high expectations we set for our players and staff both on and off the field" during the conversation in question.

In a radio interview Tuesday morning, Ricketts said the team did its due diligence on Chapman and that the process went far beyond one conversation before making the trade official.

"We've been told that since he's come back he's been a model teammate and citizen," Ricketts told WSCR-AM 670, according to Michael Dwojak of the Chicago Tribune. "With that said, we were very, very thoughtful about whether this was a good fit for our ballclub, for our organization.

"I could see how some people look at the situation, but (Chapman has) gone through the process, he's respected the process, said and done the right things. And so we're willing to bring him into the clubhouse, and hopefully he wins us some (games)."