Reports: Cubs Have Offered Gleyber Torres for Aroldis Chapman
Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Fan Rag Sports is reporting that the Cubs have offered Gleyber Torres and more to the Yankees for fireballing lefty Aroldis Chapman.
Gleyber Torres, who's been scratched, was in offer to Yankees. Torres plus for chapman is on table. #cubs #yanks
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 24, 2016
Yankees got big offers for Chapman Gleyber Torres, who's part of cubs offer for AC, is likely on move somewhere after scratch
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 24, 2016
But wait, there’s more…
https://twitter.com/rianwatt/status/757355957785624577
The deal is supposedly set and the only thing holding it up is Chapman’s willingness to take the extension. That would eliminate the trepidation around trading a top prospect for a four-month rental. Heyman said on MLB Network that he would put the likelihood of the teams getting this deal done at a 9 out of 10.
Sounds like Cubs fans are going to have to once again swallow the bile they’re only just now choking down after the John Lackey signing this offseason. I’ve shared my thoughts on this matter a bit in the past, but I feel compelled to do so once more here. I don’t like Aroldis Chapman and I fear that he might be a goblin of a human being. I also believe that people can change and I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to not being evil.
At the same time, I understand why you might hate the idea of having this guy in a Cubs uniform. When you boil it all down, I have no choice but to continue placing my implicit confidence in Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. They have always prioritized makeup and chemistry when putting their team together and I don’t believe they’d sacrifice all they’ve built at this point.
I’m conflicted, folks, I really am. But if I take a solely objective point of view, I think I have to like this move. Torres is blocked for the foreseeable future by very young, very talented middle infielders. There’s also the matter that, as a high-A player, there’s no guarantee he’ll actually become a star. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush league and whatnot. And four seasons of a dude who regularly tops 100 mph means you’ve got an elite back-end bullpen guy for what should be a window of insane competitiveness.
I feel kind of gross rationalizing it now, but that’s where I’m at. What say you?
