Report: Reds willing to trade Chapman, Bruce
The Cincinnati Reds are entertaining the idea of trading two of their biggest stars.
Closer Aroldis Chapman and outfielder Jay Bruce could be up for grabs, according to president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty.
"I would say probably," Jocketty told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. "We still wanted to be somewhat protective of our club last year. We had certain guys we just didn't want to move. We started at the deadline knowing that we would gear up - '16 would be a transition year and in '17 and '18, we think we could be stronger and more competitive."
Rosenthal adds that the Reds would be "open-minded" about offers for third baseman Todd Frazier as well.
Cincinnati traded a pair of starting pitchers in Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake before the 2015 non-waiver deadline and are moving toward a rebuild, so dealing Chapman and Bruce makes sense.
The flame-throwing Chapman is one of the most dominant closers in baseball, and continued his success last season, posting a 1.63 ERA in 65 appearances, earning 33 saves in 36 chances, and striking out 116.
FASTEST PITCHES OF 2015
| PITCHER | PITCH SPEED | BATTER | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aroldis Chapman | 103.9 mph | Brian Dozier | 6/29/15 |
| Aroldis Chapman | 103.9 mph | Yadier Molina | 7/29/15 |
| Aroldis Chapman | 103.8 mph | Brian Dozier | 6/29/15 |
Bruce, 28, could be a trade option for teams who can't afford the price tags of free-agent outfielders such as Yoenis Cespedes, Jason Heyward, Alex Gordon, and Justin Upton.
Bruce hit .226/.294/.434 with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs for the Reds last season.