The winter meetings have provided some buzz worthy moments, but it's an off-field incident that has cooled down the hot stove -- at least temporarily.
The Reds had a deal in principle to send Aroldis Chapman to the Dodgers in exchange for two prospects, but the trade hasn't been made official yet due to a pressing legal matter that came to light regarding the flame throwing reliever. Chapman, 27, is under investigation by the MLB for an alleged domestic abuse issue that took place in his home in October.
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Chapman was throwing a party when he got into an argument with his girlfriend, but there details as to what happened from there are sketchy. The Reds pitcher's girlfriend alleged that they got into an argument and he pushed and choked her, while Chapman said he just poked her in the shoulder.
It was then reported that he locked himself in his garage and fired off eight gunshots, according to a police report obtained by Yahoo.
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With all of this happening, the trade between the Reds and Dodgers is in limbo, though the MLB isn't holding the deal up. Chapman hasn't been charged with a crime due to "conflicting stories" and a lack of cooperation on the part of witnesses.
For their part, the Reds haven't given up on trading Chapman.
"The trade is still possible," general manager Walt Jocketty told ESPN. "We've talked to several clubs. I've notified them all [Monday] that we will step back for a couple of weeks or whatever it takes."
If the trade with the Dodgers ends up going through, one man who could be affected on the Reds is Brandon Phillips. The second baseman has long been rumored to be on the trading block.
With there being rumors of the Dodgers throwing Jose Peraza in the Chapman deal, it could spell the end of Phillips in Cincinnati, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman:
Phillips, 34, makes $13 million in 2016 and $14 million in 2017 and he slashed .294/.328/.395 last season with 12 homers and 70 RBIs, and was worth a plus-5 in defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs.
The Diamondbacks are among the teams interested in Phillips and depending on how the Chapman situation plays out, he could be on the move.
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