Fox Sports MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported earlier Monday morning that the Los Angeles Dodgers have acquire flame-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds.
Chapman, 27, has long been on the trading block. One of the best power arms in the history of the game, this All-Star put up a 1.63 ERA and 1.15 WHIP while saving 33 games for the last place Reds in 2015. It was his fourth consecutive season with 15-plus strikeouts per nine innings, as he racked up a whopping 116 strikeouts in just 66.1 innings pitched.
Considering Los Angeles already had one of the top bullpens in the Majors, this adds to a position of strength for first-year manager Dave Roberts. Current closer Kenley Jansen is coming off a 36-save campaign that saw him post a 2.41 ERA and 0.78 WHIP.
Having these two arms at the end of games somewhat cancels out the Dodgers' loss of Zack Greinke in free agency last week. Whenever you can make it a seven-inning game, your chances of winning on a consistent basis increases. Just look at the defending champion Kansas City Royals.
It also must be noted that the Dodgers have a solid left-handed arm out of the bullpen in J.P. Howell, who posted a 1.43 ERA last season.
There are currently no reports identifying who went to Cincinnati in the deal. Though, the expectation is that Los Angeles is sending two top-end prospects to the Reds for the dominating reliever. We will have updates on that end of the deal when they become available.