Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Quote:
Originally Posted by
westofyou
Hopefully lightning will crack a tree open in his yard and allow him to build a wonderful new bat out of the exposed wood too.
Hope he comes up with a better, and or more original name for that new bat.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Chapman is probably the first time I've ever agreed with a "wait to see how he does in Spring Training" approach. I hate Spring Training numbers... but they are better than Cuban league numbers!
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
A day later, and I am still shocked.
"Pitchers and catchers" has renewed excitment for me as a Reds fan. What a collection of young arms to get reports on in 35 days. Leake. Wood. Chapman. Boxberger. Cueto. Bailey. Can't wait.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Quote:
Originally Posted by
savafan
1869?
Since they only allowed 1 pitcher and no subs, I'd say no.
As for the question, Reds have only gone with 5 starters since the mid 70's, So I'll say the best 5 chances since 1992
Code:
GAMES STARTED GS
1 Tim Belcher 34
2 Jose Rijo 33
3 Greg Swindell 30
4 Chris Hammond 26
5 Tom Browning 16
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $25 million cont
Quote:
Originally Posted by
redsmetz
According to some websites that are Hello and then the city name, Cincy, Dayton and Louisville have 11,6111 Hispanics (as it references them). Amazing, it says Indy has over 30K and Columbus 17K. These appear to be based on 2000 Census data.
Indianapolis has a large hispanic population... To note, look and see where Indianapolis rates among the largest cities in the U.S.A... It'll surprise you...
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Highlifeman21
Yes, unless he proves he's ready during ST.
No need to rush him to the show, IMO. If he continues to have control issues in ST like he's had during his career, then start him in maybe AA and let him work his way up to AAA. I have a feeling he'll be in our rotation no later than a September callup in 2011. Isn't that ok?
I think I actually agree with you. Aug/Sept 2011 would be the latest to call him up if he needs that much time and we keep either Arroyo or Harang for 2011. Aug/Sept 2010 would be the earliest. Putting him in the Reds rotation starting day 1 would be a bigger surprise than the signing. I'll just be really surprised if he doesn't need time in the minors. They guy has some things that need to be worked on and going from pitching in Cuba to pitching in Cincinnati in April and in front of bigger crowds would be quite an adjustment for the young guy. With the kind of investment the Reds have made in him why rush him?
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Quote:
Originally Posted by
redsfandan
I think I actually agree with you. Aug/Sept 2011 would be the latest to call him up if he needs that much time and we keep either Arroyo or Harang for 2011. Aug/Sept 2010 would be the earliest. Putting him in the Reds rotation starting day 1 would be a bigger surprise than the signing. I'll just be really surprised if he doesn't need time in the minors. They guy has some things that need to be worked on and going from pitching in Cuba to pitching in Cincinnati in April and in front of bigger crowds would be quite an adjustment for the young guy. With the kind of investment the Reds have made in him why rush him?
He probably does need some seasoning but I think it's just the physical part more than the mental. I doubt if the staid American crowds are going to phase him. I think it's going to be more culture shock than anything. I don't know where Yonder's going to wind up this year but since both are Cuban - although from different situations - they might be able to get along better than Chapman and someone from Puerto Rico or the Dominican or Mexico.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
I'm pretty excited to have good young arms on the team. Volquez, Cueto, Bailey, Chapman, Leake, Wood, and Boxberger.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Until I saw Aroldis at the the press conference, I was sure he was the son of Sidd Finch.
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/H...ia/Sidd_Finch/
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
I project that he'll be rushed, he'll struggle, we'll turn on him, he'll be sent down, he'll come back again, he'll struggle again, and just before he gets traded for a low-OBP leadoff hitter, he'll put it together like Homer Bailey.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BCubb2003
I project that he'll be rushed, he'll struggle, we'll turn on him, he'll be sent down, he'll come back again, he'll struggle again, and just before he gets traded for a low-OBP leadoff hitter, he'll put it together like Homer Bailey.
My prediction ...
Attendance will likely still stink this year, and Bob will demand that the Reds bring him up in June for the proverbial dog and pony show in order to boost up the numbers at the gates. It's a trick that we've seen before, and we'll likely see it again.
My hope ...
Chapman gets the instruction and development time that he fully needs and that the Reds coaches properly develop him into a major league caliber pitcher.
Regardless, as excited as I am for the Chapman signing, the Reds still need to make a legitimate move for a hitter before this offseason is complete.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Showcases open doors for Cuban players
Hopefuls have to climb hurdles for shot in front of scouts
By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com
01/11/10 9:55 PM EST
A month before Aroldis Chapman became a Red, he stepped on a mound in West Houston to prove he wasn't green.
On the same day, almost 2,000 miles away on a field in the Cubs' academy in Boca Chica, pitcher Zuniesky Maya took center stage as the star of his own showcase.
For Maya, 27, and Chapman, 21, showcases are more than platforms to display their abilities in front of scouts; it's a lifeline to a better future. The Reds were so impressed with Chapman's Dec. 15 workout, they signed him to a to six-year, $30.25 million deal.
Since December, several teams have expressed interest in Maya. Next week, he is scheduled to throw another bullpen session.
A showcase is one way Major League officials can scout a player from the island. Cuba, along with Iran, Sudan and Syria, has been designated by the United States Department of State as State Sponsors of Terrorism, and sending scouts to the island south of Florida is prohibited. Since Fidel Castro took power in 1959, defection is the only way Cuban players can reach the big leagues.
"No other players in the world are subjected to the regulation and hurdles Cuban players are subjected to," said agent Jaime Torres, who has represented players from Cuba since 1993. "First you start with where they are from, and it's the only place where baseball is played but does not allow you to sign a professional contract. Most have to leave the country through illegal means to reach their goals, and then you have U.S.-Cuban relations and sanctions to deal with. They are completely different than any other player you deal with."
The road to a showcase begins with defection. Cuban players escape the island by boat or defect during an international baseball tournament -- just as Chapman did last summer. Next, they find an agent, usually through family, friends or colleagues. Since most Cuban defectors are not allowed to carry passports, they must visit the Cuban Consulate for a passport and to establish residency.
The paperwork is presented to Major League Baseball's Commissioner's Office for review. If guidelines are met, the player is declared a free agent. At the same time, a notice is sent to the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) requesting a license to allow the Cuban player to receive a signing bonus or sign a Major League contract. The case is made to "unblock" the player.
"You must show that he is a resident of another country and that money he makes is not going back to the government of Cuba," said agent Bart Hernandez. "You have to know what you are doing, and I advise these guys not to just jump on with just any agent. The Cuban market is a unique creature, because it presents unique opportunities and if you make mistakes, it can cost a player time and money."
Some Cuban defectors end up in the leagues of the Dominican Republic before jumping to MLB. That was the case with Livan Hernandez when he left Cuba in 1994. A stint in the Dominican Summer or Winter League is also an effective scouting tool for Major League teams interested in Cuban players.
The creation of the World Baseball Classic -- as well as international tournaments such as the World Baseball Cup -- has also exposed Cuban players to Major League scouts. It's common for Major League scouts to attend an international junior tournament; however, scouts are not permitted to talk to Cuban players.
"The obvious risk is investing money in a player you don't know that well, because even if you have a feel for the player, you don't know the character or how he is off the field," said Zack Minasian, manager of professional scouting for the Brewers. "With amateur scouts, they develop a history -- some four to five years long -- but with Cubans, you have no history with them. The reward can be big. Sometimes, you can go get a guy and he turns into Kendry Morales."
It's the agent's job to sell the player to an organization. It falls on him or her to answer any "character" questions a club might have about a player.
"As agents, we have to be the communicator, mentor, mother, father, brother, sister," Hernandez said. "Little by little, you see how they grow and develop and when they start to become independent. Years later, some appreciate it. Some don't, but hey, that's life."
It's unknown how Maya and Chapman will perform in the Major Leagues, but they have a history of success. Chapman throws 100 mph and could be the best player to ever come out of Cuba.
"Our [scouts] feel he could possibly move very quickly, but it's too early to tell," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "We need to get him into our program and our camp. Hopefully he is one of our top five starters when we break camp. We'll have him go down and work on what he needs to work on."
Maya went 13-4 with a 1.23 ERA in his last season in Cuba, and is 48-29 with a 2.37 ERA for his career. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound pitcher is believed to be Major League-ready and throws a fastball between 89-94 mph. He expects to be declared a free agent this month.
"Before 1959 and the revolution, the majority of Latin players in baseball were from Cuba," Torres said. "There were hardly any from the [Dominican Republic] and there were some from Puerto Rico, a few from Venezuela and once in a while, you had one from Mexico. But once the doors closed in Cuba, it all changed."
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BCubb2003
I project that he'll be rushed, he'll struggle, we'll turn on him, he'll be sent down, he'll come back again, he'll struggle again, and just before he gets traded for a low-OBP leadoff hitter, he'll put it together like Homer Bailey.
I'm thinking we'll go all Steve Nebraska with him, and bring him in off the roof of the GAB in a helicopter to the mound for his first appearance.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Chapman learning about new home
Reds lefty knew little of MLB before defecting from Cuba
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
01/11/10 5:05 PM EST
CINCINNATI -- Pitcher Aroldis Chapman's exposure to U.S. baseball has been minimal, but on Monday, he was fully immersed in one aspect of the modern game -- the media news conference.
Under the bright lights of the interview room at Great American Ball Park, Chapman wore a sharp suit with a bright red tie dotted with white Cincinnati Reds logos. The 21-year-old Cuban defector had a new home after he signed a six-year contract worth $30.25 million.
But being from an isolated Communist dictator-run nation, Chapman knew little to nothing about his new surroundings.
"I have never heard of Cincinnati in the past," Chapman said through his interpreter. "I just became familiar with the team through the agency that is representing me."
Chapman slipped on his new No. 54 jersey with the Reds wishbone "C" on the front but didn't know about the great players that had worn the logo before him. One reporter asked Chapman through his interpreter if he was aware of Reds great Tony Perez, the lone Cuban-born Hall of Famer player.
"No," Chapman said as he laughed nervously.
"We'll educate him on that. It's part of the education process," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty chimed in.
The Reds have a rich history with Cuban players. Armando Marsans and Rafael Almeida were among the first Cubans to play big league baseball when they debuted in 1911. Pitcher Dolf Luque was the first Cuban star in baseball and pitched in Cincinnati from 1918-29. In the 1950s, the Reds had a Triple-A team in Havana until Fidel Castro's regime rose to power.
"When many of the interviews were conducted in Houston, many of the clubs asked, 'What was your favorite team growing up or who was your favorite player?'" Chapman agent Randy Hendricks said. "His answer was, 'We did not get to see American baseball in Cuba.' So he didn't know teams."
To orientate Chapman, Hendricks' staff went on the Internet and showed him maps of the cities where teams were located, the types of stadiums they used and the makeup of the divisions, leagues and rosters.
As the Reds became serious bidders, Chapman learned more about what would be his future team.
"We went through the history of the Big Red Machine, talked about [owner] Bob Castellini and Walt Jocketty," Hendricks said. "They had a nucleus of good young players, and this was a team that really wanted to recapture the glory days of the Big Red Machine. We believed they meant it. We kept them in mind."
Of course, Perez was a mainstay member of that Big Red Machine that won two World Series in 1975-76.
The agency then helped Chapman with his due diligence about the current Reds team and its makeup.
"A variable not to be underestimated is his manager [Dusty Baker] speaks Spanish, his catcher [Ramon Hernandez] speaks Spanish, his pitching coach [Bryan Price] speaks Spanish and 10 of the players on the 40-man roster are from Latin America," Hendricks said.
Chapman left his entire family behind in Cuba after he defected in July during a tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Of course, he hoped his family could follow his professional career online by watching games, but he was realistic since he wasn't afforded such information growing up.
"Not everybody in Cuba has access to the Internet," Chapman said.
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to six-year deal (Financials T
Reds glad to have Chapman on their side
Players excited after seeing, hearing what new mate can do
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
01/11/10 9:58 PM EST
CINCINNATI -- Reds first baseman Joey Votto remembers the first time he saw Aroldis Chapman pitch on television during the World Baseball Classic.
Votto was in Toronto with Team Canada at the time while teammate Jay Bruce was back in Florida for Spring Training. And the left-handed Chapman was pitching for the Cuban national team. Both Votto and Bruce are left-handed hitters that sensed they would have had their hands full against him.
"Jay and I texted about this guy from Cuba," Votto said on Monday night by phone from Florida. "We were really hoping if he came out, we didn't want him to sign anywhere else."
Almost a year later, it became a wish come true. Chapman, who defected from Cuba in July, signed a six-year deal worth $30.25 million with the Reds on Monday.
"Now we don't have to face him except in Spring Training games," Votto said. "I'll probably not want to face him."
The news was well-received by catcher Ryan Hanigan, who will get the unique perspective of directly working with Chapman from behind the plate. The 6-foot-4 left-hander has a fastball velocity in the high 90s and has touched 100 mph. He also has a plus-slider and a developing changeup.
"You can't not be excited when your team gets a guy like that," Hanigan said. "Obviously, we have to see his stuff and what he can do, but with his being a lefty throwing hard and being intimidating, my first instinct is to think it's great for the organization."
Votto believed that the signing will grab the attention of the young team, which is trying to snap a string of nine consecutive losing seasons.
"I was happy about it," Votto said. "This probably is the most shocking signing we've had since Ken Griffey Jr. [before the 2000 season]. I'm not putting him in that class but he's got to be a shock for Reds fans and the players.
"I think it tells fans and players that [management] believes in us and should believe us and have some faith for the long run."
Chapman will be entering a clubhouse that features a strong Latino contingent, with players such as Francisco Cordero, Ramon Hernandez, Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez.
There will still be a significant learning curve. Chapman, who will turn 22 in February, has had little exposure to American culture. He doesn't speak English and knows little about Major League Baseball.
"A hard-throwing lefty is a great asset for any team," Hanigan said. "We want him to be a pitcher, not a thrower. As much velocity as he has, he'll have to use all of his pitches. It's never bad to have that velocity. Plus, he's so long with his body and size that it makes him more intimidating.
"Hopefully he can settle in with the team as quickly as possible. I'm excited to work with him and help him feel comfortable so he can reach his ultimate potential. A guy like this has no ceiling. He can be a dominant pitcher in the big leagues."
One of Chapman's first orders of business will be to head to the Reds' complex in Goodyear, Ariz., where he will be introduced to pitching coach Bryan Price. The two will work together, and former Reds star and special assistant Mario Soto will also be involved in working with Chapman.
Price, who was hired in October, has seen very little of Chapman in action and not at all in person.
"I saw about 10-15 pitches on a video from a center-field camera," said Price, who lives in Arizona. "I don't know a great deal about him. I know how well thought of [he is] in the baseball community and our organization. I have to get familiar with all of our pitchers, especially those that were in the Minor Leagues. We'll have a protocol to follow with the organization to work from and build a routine. The biggest thing with Aroldis is to build some routine where he's used to pitching every fifth day. We'll communicate about long-tossing between starts and a weight program."
Chapman has drawn comparisons to another power-throwing lefty, the just-retired Randy Johnson. Chapman is considered a raw talent that still needs to gain command of his pitches -- much like Johnson.
When he was the D-backs pitching coach, Price had Johnson on his staff in 2007-08 when he was well past his prime. Johnson could still reach 95 mph, but not as consistently as he used to.
Price isn't a big believer in comparisons.
"I hope we don't see unrealistic expectations about what Aroldis can accomplish," he said. "Randy didn't become a great pitcher until he got command of the strike zone. Aroldis will define himself by how he develops, learns the game and uses his gifts. We anticipate a wonderful career. Comparisons are an unnecessary weight to put on somebody."
Reds Spring Training starts in 37 days, when players and fans will get their first looks at Chapman as he begins his career. It is still unknown if he will open the 2010 season in the big league rotation, but general manager Walt Jocketty said during Monday's press conference that it wasn't out of the question.
"It's good to hear all of the hype about him," Hanigan said. "At Spring Training, me and Ramon will try to develop a rapport with him and help him get comfortable as he can. It's going to be fun."
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin
