Aroldis Chapman

[GIDP]

Saw on MLB Trade Rumors that he defected.

Any idea of who he signs with? He threw some major heat during the WBC. 100 MPH at the WBC if you really trusted those guns, but even if it wasnt 100+ it still had to be in the mid to high 90s which out of a lefty is pretty impressive.

Id say he needs to work on the control a bit and he didnt show much in terms of offspeed stuff but you can see a lot of potential in the guy.

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by GIDP

Saw on MLB Trade Rumors that he defected.

Any idea of who he signs with? He threw some major heat during the WBC. 100 MPH at the WBC if you really trusted those guns, but even if it wasnt 100+ it still had to be in the mid to high 90s which out of a lefty is pretty impressive.

Id say he needs to work on the control a bit and he didnt show much in terms of offspeed stuff but you can see a lot of potential in the guy.

OBM posted something on him in the ORG yesterday.

http://www.redszone.com/forums/showt...t=75992&page=2

[OnBaseMachine]

Top Cuban prospect defects
By Jorge Arangure
ESPN The Magazine

Aroldis Chapman, a Cuban considered by many scouts to be the best left-handed pitching prospect in the world, has defected from the national team, several sources have confirmed to ESPN The Magazine.

Chapman, 21, walked out of his hotel in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where Cuba was participating in a tournament, and never returned, according to the Spanish-language Web site cubaencuentro.com, which first reported Chapman's defection.

Chapman told the site he was still in Europe, but would not reveal his location for safety reasons.

"I walked out easily, right through the hotel door, and I hopped into a car and left," Chapman told cubaencuentro.com. "It was easy. Now the plan is to sign with a major league team."

A source said Chapman was scheduled to fly to Miami on Thursday.

Chapman would be the most heralded defector since Jose Contreras, who left the national team in 2002 during a tournament in Mexico.

By several estimates, Chapman could garner a contract worth anywhere from $30 million to $60 million. Contreras received a four-year, $32 million contract from the New York Yankees in 2003, which at the time was the biggest ever given to a Cuban defector.

"Without a doubt [he is the best player to defect since Contreras]," agent Jaime Torres said Thursday.

Torres, who represented Contreras and is considered the top agent for Cuban defectors, said he has had no contact with Chapman yet.

Chapman is not a complete unknown; he pitched for Cuba at the World Baseball Classic this past spring.

"This is shocking," one international scouting director said about the magnitude of the defection.

Yet Chapman is still considered a fairly raw prospect. Though many considered him to be the most talented pitcher on the Cuban squad, Chapman posted only a 5.68 ERA in 6 1/3 innings during the WBC. Last year in the National Series in Cuba, Chapman had a 4.03 ERA in 118 1/3 innings.

And though his pitches have been clocked at 100 mph, some consider Chapman's secondary pitches to be only average. For that reason, many believe Chapman likely would have to start his professional career in the minors.

There also might be a question of Chapman's maturity level. Several times at the WBC, Chapman was demonstrative in his displeasure at the umpire's strike zone. At times, several of his teammates had to go to the mound to calm him.

And when he was finally removed in the third inning of a 6-0 loss against Japan in pool play, Chapman did not look at manager Higinio Velez, running straight into the clubhouse without slapping hands with any of his teammates.

Yet in that start, Chapman showed exactly why he will be highly coveted: In the first inning, Chapman threw a 100-mph pitch. Later in that game, Chapman hit 102 mph.

"I think the fastball he showed at the Classic was good enough," Torres said, jokingly.

Chapman also appears to have the charisma to make him a star in the majors. During the WBC, he regularly mugged for cameras and always offered smiles at reporters, though because of Cuba team rules, he was not allowed to speak to any of them.

"I'm very happy," Chapman said on cubaencuentro.com. "Until now everything has come out fine. This is the plan that I had and this was a decision I took. I wanted to test myself in the highest levels of baseball."

Because it's likely Chapman surrendered his passport to Cuban officials after arriving in Europe -- all Cuban players routinely do so, prior to any appearance outside of Cuba -- he will have some complications in establishing residency.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4302422

[NJReds]

From that article, it's the kind of risk-reward the Reds can't bother getting involved in. Just because he lights up the radar gun doesn't mean he'll be a great pitcher. A team like Cincinnati can't afford a $30-$60M mistake.

[GIDP]

He does more than just light up the gun though.

[OnBaseMachine]

Chapman Reportedly Leaves Cuban Team

Posted Jul. 2, 2009 11:40 am by John Manuel
Filed under: International

Lefthanded pitcher Aroldis Chapman, the hardest thrower for Cuba and its de facto No. 1 starter during the 2009 World Baseball Classic, reportedly has left the Cuban national team in the Netherlands. One veteran international scout has confirmed to BA that Chapman has left the team and is seeking to defect.

Cuba sent a club to participate in the World Port tournament, with Chapman on the roster as something of a surprise. Chapman has been considered a fairly significant defection risk in recent years, to the point where he was left off the 2008 Olympic roster. He did pitch in the WBC this spring, though, hitting 100 mph on the radar gun and averaging 93 mph in a 44-pitch outing against Japan. He also pitched against Australia in Mexico City, where a scout we talked to this spring saw him and was impressed.

"He was unreal in Mexico City and just OK in San Diego," the scout said. "There were rumors heading into Mexico that he wouldn’t be there because they were afraid he would defect, but he was there and was lights out. If you are looking for more than that in a pitcher, you’ll be searching your whole life. He was so much fun to watch. If he’s 21 like he’s listed, the sky’s the limit. You’ve got honestly just one or two tweaks that could be made but he could go straight to the top of a big league rotation. He’s got a great body, definitely has high pockets, absolutely. He’s on top of the hitter, his release has extension, he’s got the ball coming out of there at 100 mph. He’s absolutely electric."

If Chapman defects, it should take several months for him to establish residency in another country to become a free agent (the Netherlands makes sense), and then to go through the "unblocking" process that all Cubans have to go through with the U.S. government.

When Chapman becomes a free agent, what kind of deal will he receive? The standards to compare him are Jose Contreras, another Cuban who signed in 2002 with the Yankees for a four-year, $32 million deal (including a $6 million bonus), and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who received a $2 million bonus and a six-year, $52 million deal. Both of those pitchers were older and more established in their respective leagues than Chapman, and both had premium stuff. But neither was lefthanded and neither had Chapman’s pure velocity.

The reputation of Cuban pitchers has taken a hit over the years—Orlando Hernandez remains the most accomplished Cuban defector of the last 15 years, and even Contreras, the ace of the ‘05 World Series champion White Sox, has been a bit disappointing over the breadth of his career. Still, Chapman likely would command a contract in the range of what Contreras got nearly seven years ago, if not more.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=5271

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by GIDP

He does more than just light up the gun though.

He kind of seems to be a headcase. While his talent is unquestionable, for me, composure is huge in a pitcher. I'm not sure he has it. Maybe maturity will cure some of this, but I tend to agree that is too much money to risk on a kid like that (if some screws are loose).

[GIDP]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

He kind of seems to be a headcase. While his talent is unquestionable, for me, composure is huge in a pitcher. I'm not sure he has it. Maybe maturity will cure some of this, but I tend to agree that is too much money to risk on a kid like that (if some screws are loose).

Hard to disagree much.

[NJReds]

Originally Posted by GIDP

He does more than just light up the gun though.

I've never seen him pitch, but the article said:

And though his pitches have been clocked at 100 mph, some consider Chapman's secondary pitches to be only average. For that reason, many believe Chapman likely would have to start his professional career in the minors.

There also might be a question of Chapman's maturity level. Several times at the WBC, Chapman was demonstrative in his displeasure at the umpire's strike zone. At times, several of his teammates had to go to the mound to calm him.

So I think it'd be a huge risk for a team like the Reds to sign him to big money.

[OnBaseMachine]

When I watched Chapman pitch, his slider was nasty. It was a true wipeout pitch.

[GIDP]

His slider was good, but I dont think he knows where its going that often.

[GIDP]

Originally Posted by NJReds

I've never seen him pitch, but the article said:



So I think it'd be a huge risk for a team like the Reds to sign him to big money.

60 million yea

30-40 id take that risk.

[OesterPoster]

Can't imagine he'd sign with anyone other than the Yankees, Red Sox, or possibly Mets.

[Benihana]

Sounds like a left-handed Carlos Zambrano. Mentally, at least...

[Scrap Irony]

I'd be willing to go 5-year, $45 million, but he'd likely laugh at that offer.