What They’re Saying: Aroldis, Frazier, & Bad Contracts

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We’re halfway through February, which means it’s almost March, which means it’s practically baseball season. This also means the baseball chatter—in both talk, print, and digitally digestible form—is heating up, just like the ladies do when Joe Votto comes to the plate.

Some of that chatter has naturally touched on the Cincinnati Reds. From time to time, we’ll do our best to make note of what they are saying about the Redlegs—here, there, and all around the globe. It doesn’t matter who “they” are, just that “they” are saying it.

The Sleepy Missile
The Feb. 17 “Cuba Issue” of ESPN the Magazine features a profile of Aroldis Chapman by Eli Saslow, as the writer hangs out with Chapman’s family in his $1.8-million offseason home in Davie, Florida while the Reds 25-year-old relief pitching phenom sleeps until all hours of the afternoon, smokes Marlboro Reds, and reminisces about life in Cuba before he defected. Saslow touches on many of the same issues surrounding Chapman that Craig Fehrman uncovered in his profile of the Cuban fireballer from (SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION ALERT!) our March 2013 issue, including the $24-million lawsuit levied against Chapman by two men imprisoned for allegedly orchestrating his defection…as well as Chapman’s struggles with parallel parking. Saslow, however, was able to sit down and speak with Chapman directly, offering an intriguing peek into his personality and his continued transition to life in America. Of note: the biggest motivation for Chapman purchasing the aforementioned mansion was that it reminded him of the house from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

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The Captain and Todd

With Yankees legend Derek Jeter’s recent announcement that he will retire after the 2014 season, The New York Times chatted with Todd Frazier for a nice piece about meeting Jeter for the first time when Frazier was only 12 years old. “I can say, ‘I know Derek Jeter,’ ” Frazier said. “That’s pretty awesome to say.” Yeah, you and every actress/supermodel that’s lived in NYC anytime in the past two decades.

Broxton Making Bank
Jonah Keri unleashed a Los-Angeles-Dodger-riddled list of the worst contracts in baseball last week, with Reds reliever Jonathan Broxton nailing down the 11th spot thanks to his two-year, $17-million deal. It could be worse for the Reds though. Broxton was the lone player on the list for Cincinnati. The Dodgers can make no such claim. Also, it could be A LOT worse for Jonathan Broxton. But it’s not.

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