The Reds and Jonathan Broxton have a deal

We now know that Broxton has a contract with the Reds. All that's left is a series of paint-by-number jokes. This isn't a joke, but if you accept that Broxy is going to be the closer for several seasons, you can then move on to making sure someone modifies The Clash's "Guns of Brixton" in time for his first appearance.

What we still don't know are the details, though this "at least three years" thing that's been repeated in a number of sources makes me feel ill-at-ease.

Broxton has only gotten one proper free agent contract in his career - a $4M deal from the Royals (with $1M in incentive bonuses) last season. He was coming off an injury-plagued 2011. Before that, he was paid his highest annual salary by the Dodgers - $7M - when they bought out his third year of arbitration.

$7M-per-year is a good guess, since it's also the number that's been kicked around in rumors. But it also might be the floor. Broxton got that much three seasons a go, as a cost-controlled player. If the Reds think he's that pitcher again, you'd expect him to get at least a little more on the open market.

Of course, they might be saving on yearly salary by offering more years. They might also be back-loading the deal. IN any case, it'll probably be unpleasant.

With Ryan Madson headed to LA and two of the remaining most-talented closers also recovering from Tommy John surgery, I totally get going after Broxton. And part of his contract could be the price of admission for Chapman to the rotation. But, even with a growing payroll, this team still shouldn't be handing out big contracts to closers.