Last offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers came close to pairing Aroldis Chapman with Kenley Jansen in the back end of their bullpen. This winter, they could end up choosing Chapman over Jansen in free agency.

The Dodgers are expected to make a dedicated pursuit of Chapman, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports. While the team surely isn't averse to bringing back Jansen -- after all, the Dodgers did offer him a $17.2 million qualifying offer -- Chapman is an arm they've coveted for a while.

The Dodgers were set to acquire the hard-throwing left-hander from the Cincinnati Reds last offseason before details regarding his alleged domestic violence incident emerged. Once they did, the deal fell apart and the New York Yankees swooped in to land Chapman.

The Yankees traded Chapman to the Chicago Cubs in July but also have an interest in bringing him back now that he's a free agent.

Chapman posted a 1.55 ERA and struck out 90 batters in 58 innings this season. Meanwhile, Jansen had a 1.83 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings. Chapman, 28, is five months younger than Jansen, 29, and both are expected to receive long-term contracts that should set a new standard for elite relievers.

-- Kyle Brasseur