I think he was also a lockdown closer at the end of last year for them and lost his job because of injury to start this season. May be completely wrong though, lol
This will be the most logical pickup because he is a left hander. When your team's only LH relieve pitcher is Tony Sipp, this is not only a good pickup, it's close to godly.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Houston <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> are trying to replicate the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash">#Royals</a> blueprint by creating 3-headed monster of Chapman, Gregerson and Neshek.</p>— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/627176399472726016">July 31, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">dbacks aroldis talks for chapman are at impasse. they're "off" is the way one person put it. <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGilbertMLB">@SteveGilbertMLB</a> 1st mentioned</p>— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/627176743565172736">July 31, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Looks like D'Backs are out of Chapman sweepstakes...
Heyman just followed up on MLB Network with this info. Looks like the Astros want him pretty badly. Would love to land Chapman and Ross. I have modest wants
And don't get me wrong, I like Tony Sipp, especially he's one of the guys whose here for all those bad years, you will love to see him success with this team now. But sadly, he is not having a good year and we need better from the left hand side.
one of the guys on MLBN said that the Yanks are getting the feeling that Kimbrel is going to be part of something bigger and that the Padres would prefer that larger deal to a single deal
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FWIW, Aroldis Chapman is ranked #96 among MLB relievers in WHIP (1.19). Astros currently have SIX relievers with a better WHIP.</p>— David Weiner (@BimaThug) <a href="https://twitter.com/BimaThug/status/627177898860941312">July 31, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
OK, and track record suggest this is an off year. He throws 100+ consistently. Our defense is also much better. He is an elite closer. Maybe more so than Kimbrel.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> continue to discuss Chapman with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Reds?src=hash">#Reds</a>. Possibility mentioned by <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS">@JonHeymanCBS</a>.</p>— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/627179235568914432">July 31, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Of course they are, the Reds leaked their offer. Impasse is just a nice way of telling the Reds to piss off.
I have a feeling the Chapman/Astros rumors are Luhnow's way of telling the Padres that they aren't the only team we're dealing with. The Padres are probably asking for the moon for Ross and Kimbrel, and the Astros aren't budging. This has been as exciting a trade deadline as I can remember, but that's also probably because the Astros are buying up errrrybody.