The Cincinnati Reds are in trouble. As the MLB season heats up, the baseball team finds itself in the middle of a domestic violence drama. To add to the legal battle, the Cincinnati Reds might have just watched their ticket for a new and better team slip away from their grasps. With the involvement of the entire MLB community, the police and the media, any trade agreements with the team is at a standstill.
Aroldis Chapman was involved in a domestic violence case with his girlfriend, in which the incident was said to have occurred in his home in Davie, Florida. News following the October 30 domestic abuse situation was later on taken into consideration by the police. In adherence to the domestic violence policy of the league, the MLB halted any and all ongoing trade talks involving Chapman.
"This is bigger than the game of baseball," commented Dan O'Dowd, according to USA TODAY Sports. The former Colorado Rockies general manager further shared, "I really don't see how there's a market for him now."
An unnamed National League executive also shared his opinion on the matter. He said, "I know we can't touch him. Our owner would never go for that. And I'm getting the sense from other teams that they feel the same way." The executive added, "Yeah, we know talent can cover up some character flaws, but domestic violence is such a hot topic now."
Prior to the domestic violence issue's surfacing, the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers were reportedly on the verge of finalizing a trade. The said agreement purportedly involved the entry of Chapman to the Los Angeles team in exchange for two potential MLB players. However, Walt Jockey later on disclosed that the deal was put on hold until further noticed.
In accordance with the police reports from Yahoo Sports, Chapman reportedly gagged his girlfriend in his Florida home last October. The MLB star then pushed the alleged victim against the wall. Chapman was also reported to have fired eight gunshots inside his garage. To date, the Cincinnati Reds star's lawyers only issued a statement to deny the said allegations. Meanwhile, the MLB is currently investigating the veracity of the claims against Chapman.
"The policy does not preclude us from taking action based on whether or not the player was arrested or pled guilty to a crime," explained Dan Halem. The MLB's chief legal officer went on to say, "The commissioner is going to judge it based on the conduct itself."
