MLB News: Cincinnati Reds, Aroldis Chapman Agree On One-Year, $8.05M Contract

The Cincinnati Reds and Aroldis Chapman have agreed on a one year deal worth $8.05 million last Saturday and both sides have agreed avoiding a salary arbitration hearing that would have dragged the negotiations in the latest in Major League Baseball, or MLB, offseason news.

"We got it done probably 15-20 minutes before everyone was to go into the [hearing] room," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said in an article in the team’s official website. "We felt we had a good case and were willing to go inside and try it. But resolving it ahead of time is always better than having to go in there with your player. We're very satisfied, and I'm sure they are too.”

Both Chapman and the Reds also avoided salary arbitration hearing last offseason when they agreed on a $5 million deal. Chapman originally was signed to a free agent contract worth $30.25 million in January 2010. Chapman initially wanted to make $8.7 million in the new deal while the Reds’ counter-offer was at $6.65 million.

Chapman is a Cuban national who averaged 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his MLB career, which started in the 2010 when he defected from Cuba. He has played since for one team, the Reds from 2010 to 2014 and the extension means an extended stay with the team. Chapman, who is a three time MLB All-Star being named to the squad in 2012, 2013 and 2014, has also been successful in international play.

The 26 year old hard-throwing southpaw won the gold medal with the Cuba baseball national team in the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the silver medal in the 2007 Baseball World Cup in Taipei. In August 2014, Chapman broke the record for most consecutive relief appearances with a strikeout in 49 straight appearances on the mound. The previous record was held by Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter who established the feat in 1977. Through the 2014 MLB Season, the closer has career numbers of 15-16 wins and losses, 2.32 ERA, 430 strikeouts and 113 saves.

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