Aroldis Chapman Reportedly Has $92MM Offer

One of the top three relievers, Mark Melancon, is off the board after agreeing to a record-setting $62MM deal with the Giants yesterday. But both Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen, the top two relievers of the winter, remain unsigned. Both are likely to make Melancon’s time as the relief contract record holder brief, and we’ll track today’s updates on their market here…

• The Yankees haven’t gone as high as $92MM in their offers to Chapman, and the Marlins aren’t believed to be willing to spend quite that much, Heyman reports (Twitter links).
• Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has indeed given his front office the green light to spend on signing Chapman or Jansen, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports, though this “preliminary approval” of funds may still not be enough to outbid other big spenders on either ace closer.

Earlier Updates

• The Yankees are “determined” to land Chapman, Heyman tweets. It’s not clear, however, that they’re the team that offered Chapman $92MM.
• One team believes Chapman has a $92MM offer in hand, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets.
• The Yankees have made offers to both Chapman and Jansen, reports MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (on Twitter).
• Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times tweets that the Dodgers are remaining “competitive” in the markets for Jansen and Chapman, and they’ve also chatted with the Royals about closer Wade Davis.
• Chapman has received multiple offers that have passed the $80MM threshold, Heyman tweets. The Yankees still see him as their priority, but the Dodgers and Marlins are in the mix as well. He also suggests that the Nationals could join the fray for Chapman, pointing out that GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dusty Baker (who managed Chapman in Cincinnati) both love Chapman.
• There’s an expectation that Jansen will sign before Chapman, reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden.
• The Yankees are more focused on Chapman than Jansen and are willing to offer a five-year deal in the range of $80MM, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Chapman said yesterday that he’s hoping to receive a six-year deal, but the Yankees won’t go to that level to sign him, according to Heyman. For the Yankees, Jansen is more of a backup plan to Chapman than a prime target.
• The Marlins are firmly in the mix for both top closers, at owner Jeffrey Loria’s behest, but their preference between the two differs from the Yankees, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Miami has preferred Jansen to Chapman from the start of free agency, despite the fact that he comes with the burden of draft pick compensation after rejecting a qualifying offer. Sherman notes that if the Marlins are able to land Jansen before Chapman signs, that could push the Dodgers to make a strong run at Chapman, potentially throwing a wrench into the Yankees’ winter plans. The Dodgers are trying to retain Jansen, according to Sherman, but they’d seemingly shift course to Chapman if Jansen came off the board.