NASHVILLE — Reds closer Aroldis Chapman reportedly fired eight gunshots after an altercation with a woman claiming to be his girlfriend in October, according to a report by Yahoo Sports.
No charges were filed at the time of the incident, but the report came hours after a trade to send the Reds’ left-hander to the Dodgers for two prospects reportedly hit a snag.
Reds officials would not say when they learned of the incident, but they were clearly surprised on Monday.
“MLB will take over responsibility, they’ll look into it and everything publicly will be handled through MLB,” said Walt Jocketty, the team’s president of baseball operations.
Jocketty refused further comment on the issue.
A spokesman for Major League Baseball said the matter would be handled under the league’s new domestic abuse policy.
Early Monday, the first day of the MLB Winter Meetings, reports came that a deal to send Chapman to Los Angeles for a pair of prospects was done pending a physical. However, Reds officials cautioned a deal had not been done.
After several hours of unknowns surrounding the trade, Yahoo’s report came out Monday night.
“That’s not what held up the trade, we were just unable to complete it,” Jocketty said.
Yahoo reported the incident took place on Oct. 30, but no arrests were made at the time, “due to conflicting stories and a lack of cooperation from all parties involved,” according to the report Yahoo obtained and placed online.
According to the report, the woman claimed Chapman choked her, but Chapman claimed he poked her with his index and middle fingers. After the altercation, the report said he retrieved a gun from his car and fired several shots in the garage. The report states seven shots hit a concrete wall in his garage and an eighth went through a window into an open field.
Police spoke to Assistant State Attorney Marcie Zaccor, who said there was not enough evidence to charge Chapman with battery, the report states.
The 27-year-old Chapman is a free agent at the end of the season, and the Reds haven’t been shy in expressing their interest in trading him. Those plans are now on hold.
A deal with the Dodgers — or any team — is not dead, Jocketty said.
“I think it’s still possible,” Jocketty said. “We’ve talked to several clubs. I notified all of them tonight that we’d step back a couple of weeks or whatever it takes.”
If the Reds can’t trade Chapman before the start of the season, any team receiving Chapman during the season would not be able to claim a draft pick as compensation should he leave.
It’s unlikely the Reds will be able to move on with Chapman until Major League Baseball finishes its investigation. Under the new agreement, MLB can issue a fine or suspension based on the outcome of its investigation.
Jocketty said he hoped to meet with agents for free agents on Tuesday, but will also continue talking trades.
At the General Managers’ Meetings last month in Florida, Jocketty told The Enquirer that there were no untouchables on the team’s roster and that they were open to trading anyone in the right deal.
“We’re getting a lot of heat with a number of guys,” Jocketty said Monday night about other possible trades.
With a possible Chapman deal on hold, the team could also move the likes of outfielder Jay Bruce, third baseman Todd Frazier or second baseman Brandon Phillips. Brandon Phillips has full no-trade protection, as does first baseman Joey Votto. When asked this past weekend at Redsfest whether he’d be open to a trade, Votto didn’t say he wouldn’t be, but did express his desire to stay with the Reds.
“Once we traded (Johnny) Cueto and (Mike) Leake, I think it really did sign off on the fact that we’re going to restructure and the roster to a certain degree to get back to the organization that’s brimming and on the cusp for regular post-season spots and the World Series,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “You’re not going to get immediately better if you trade an established everyday player or a closer or a starter. You hope to be better in the long term with what you get in the future. I think we understand where we are organizationally.”
