The Red Sox had been exploring a possible trade for lefthander Aroldis Chapman in November until the team discovered in its background check that the Reds closer had allegedly been involved in a domestic dispute, according to multiple industry sources.

The alleged incident came to light on Monday in a report by Yahoo Sports. In the report, Chapman's lawyer "vehemently" denied the allegations.

The Red Sox, at the time, had been exploring two potential trades to reinforce the back end of the bullpen, examining a match with the Reds on Chapman as well as a deal with the Padres for closer Craig Kimbrel. Up to that point, the Red Sox had been debating the merits of two options that had shown late-game dominance.