While the Los Angeles Dodgers haven't completely dropped their pursuit of Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman, the Washington Nationals have significant interest in acquiring him, a source tells ESPNDeportes.com.
The Dodgers and Reds reportedly reached agreement on a trade last weekend centered around Chapman, but the deal hit limbo when an alleged domestic violence incident involving Chapman and his girlfriend came to light. Major League Baseball is investigating the matter, and Florida prosecutors are reviewing evidence in the case.
The Houston Astros also are interested in acquiring Chapman, the source said.
Sources told ESPN's Mark Saxon earlier this week that the Dodgers are continuing to work on other bullpen options and that the Chapman deal is "certainly not trending" toward completion.
According to police reports obtained by ESPN, Chapman's girlfriend told police that Chapman, 27, "pushed" and "choked" her during a verbal altercation Oct. 30 at their shared home in Davie, Florida. Chapman's girlfriend, 22, said they were fighting because she "found something on his phone that she did not like."
No arrests were made during the police investigation of Chapman "due to conflicting information and lack of cooperation from all parties involved," the report said. According to the report, the case was brought to Assistant State Attorney Marcie Zaccor, who decided there wasn't enough evidence to charge Chapman with simple battery.
Dusty Baker, who was hired this offseason to manage the Nationals, managed Chapman in Cincinnati for four seasons. Baker weighed in Tuesday, saying he supports baseball's domestic violence policy but also questioned whether "reports" about the incident are true. Baker then attempted to clarify his comments in a separate interview later Tuesday with ESPN's Pedro Gomez, reiterating that he hasn't seen the police report of the incident and that he does not condone domestic violence.