Makes no sense. The Reds, even without Chapman, have one of the best bullpens in the league. Broxton was walking on thin ice all last year.

Both in terms of the actual contract, and Broxton's recent performance, I like this deal.

small sample size alert and all, however,

Broxton's last 15.1 IP with the Reds included only 10h, 1bb, and 17k. If this gives the Reds confidence to move Chapman to the rotation, I'm all for it.

Broxton, Marshall, Hoover, LeCure, Arredondo, Simon, Ondrusek. That's pretty good.

That's a lot of money just for someone who has had the closer dust sprinkled on him.

Don't get it. He has one good year in the past three, and that was only 58 IP, his K/9 is down to 7, from double digits in the past, and he's pretty hittable, about 9H/9 in the last 3 years.

Literally nothing about him screams "elite RP". I want to know who else was offering 3 years? 1/7 seems much closer to his market.

I'd much rather give Rafael Soriano 3/10.

It's pretty heavily backloaded, so they might have schemes in mind.

It's pretty heavily backloaded, so they might have schemes in mind.

I think this is going to be true for a lot of FAs. Jeremy Guthrie also had a similarly backloaded deal. That big TV money starts rolling in 2014.

Three possibilities that are not mutually exclusive:

1. The Reds saw enough to make them think there's a good chance that Broxton figured something out, and that those last 15.1 IP are closer to his real ability than the previous 2.75 years.

2. The Reds think that free agent salaries are going to blow up, and that in 2015 Broxton at 1/10 or 2/18 is going to be a useful and/or tradeable commodity.

3. The Reds understand that their window is right now, and are willing to overpay some guys to try to take advantage of that.

#1 would make this a good deal no matter what happens to salaries over the next few years. If scenario #2 comes to pass then Broxton only has to be cromulent over the life of the deal to make it worthwhile to the Reds. And scenario #3 justifies risk-taking and little mortgages against the future like this one.

Meanwhile Boxton has guaranteed himself $38.6 million in career earnings, and will be a FA at age 31 or 32. This strikes me as a reasonable deal for both sides.

I'd much rather give Rafael Soriano 3/10.

Given that he's made 1/10 and 1/11 over the past two years, good luck with that!

I think he probably meant 3/30.

I think he probably meant 3/30.

Yes.

Soriano costs you a first round pick, not just money.

Isn't Soriano looking for 4/60? Doubt he gets it, though...

Next CBA will probably eliminate the lost 'comp' pick all together. There's no reason to limit the market like that with the existence of the luxury tax and teams pretty much following it. (Outside of the Dodgers.)

Well I would have preferred if the Reds had spent that $21 million towards an outfielder, either LF or CF. Seems like a lot of money to spend in an area where you have a perceived strength already.

Of course this move MUST move Chapman to the rotation now, and I assume that would bump Leake to the pen or trade market, so maybe it will end up being money well spent.