Yahoo's Jeff Passan is reporting that the an 'NL Central' team has signed Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. One NL source confirmed that Chapman is closing in on an agreement and went on to say that the Reds offered a five year deal worth somewhere between 28-30 million dollars.
Chapman is one of the top lefties on the market and will likely begin in the minor leagues before joining their weak rotation. The Reds already have young pitchers Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Homer Bailey, not to mention veterans Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo in the rotation, meaning the Reds have no reason to rush him unless he pitches well and the Reds compete for the division lead, which isn't expected for another couple of seasons.
The Reds have some solid hitters in Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Brandon Phillips, with top prospect Yonder Alonso on the way as well. Bringing in solid pitching is the first step in the making the Reds competitive again in the NL Central.