Dodgers Insider Refutes Aroldis Chapman Free Agency Rumors

On Thursday afternoon, former MLB All-Star Carlos Baerga reported a rumor that the Dodgers and Padres had both made two-year contract offers to left-handed relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman. We wrote then about how the rumor would have made sense if it weren’t specifically about Chapman, whom Los Angeles was close to acquiring during the 2015 Winter Meetings before domestic violence allegations surfaced and caused L.A. to nix the deal. Chapman was later suspended 30 games for the incident, the first player suspended under the new policy agreed to by MLB and the MLB Players Association just a few months earlier.

Los Angeles Times sportswriter Mike DiGiovanna has confirmed what we all suspected: There’s no truth to the Chapman rumors.

Several rumors floating around today about the #Dodgers being interested in veteran closer Aroldis Chapman, one claiming team has offered him a two-year deal. Neither is true. Two sources familiar with team's thinking say LA is not involved in the bidding for the embattled LHP.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) January 5, 2023

The Dodgers have needs still, but the bullpen isn’t high on the list. You can never have too much bullpen depth, but Los Angeles has a strong core in relief that has the potential to be dominant in the late innings. Considering Chapman’s off-field history — not to mention that he’s been pretty bad the last couple years — it would have seemed out of character for L.A. ownership to reverse course on him now.

Throw in the drama related to Trevor Bauer’s situation and the Dodgers’ seeming refusal to pursue Carlos Correa because of his checkered past, and signing Chapman right now would have been a really weird move.

Sorry, folks, but mark this one down in Baerga’s growing loss column.

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