Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Major props to Bob Castellini and Walt Jocketty for making this happen. I had lost all faith in those two but this changes some of that. This is the type of move that could bring some of those frustrated Reds fans out of retirement and put more butts in the seats.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
It's fascinating to watch the confirmation or lack of it go back and forth, with Reds fans demanding stricter confirmation than anyone else.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Jumping Jehosafats.
Headline should read: Ex Pinko Now Red.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Quote:
Originally Posted by
OnBaseMachine
Major props to Bob Castellini and Walt Jocketty for making this happen. I had lost all faith in those two but this changes some of that. This is the type of move that could bring some of those frustrated Reds fans out of retirement and put more butts in the seats.
The best way to put butts in seats is to create excitement about the product. This is certainly a step in the right direction - especially if it is followed by other moves to shore up holes.
I think they should really launch a campaign to capitalize on this and tout their young talent for this year and beyond.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Quote:
Originally Posted by
corkedbat
The best way to put butts in seats is to create excitement about the product. This is certainly a step in the right direction -expecially if it is followed by other moves to shore up holes.
I think they should really capitalizr on this and tout their young talent for beyond just this year.
Now let's not get crazy.
The Reds don't ever promote their own players. they hire broadcasters to knock them down a peg if anything.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Jim Callis from this week...
Drew (Winnipeg)
Why so down on Chapman? Sorry if it's asked and answered elsewhere. I do read BA, but my memory isn't always picture perfect.
Jim Callis
(2:54 PM)
Not down on him, and I'd see him as a Top 25 prospect or so, but my enthusiasm is tempered by the number of Cuban defectors who haven't lived up to expectations, and the fact that his radar-gun reading are a lot more exciting than his pitchability.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
With Yorman Rodriguez, Juan Duran and now Aroldis Chapman, the Reds have pulled more than their share of top talent out of Latin America.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Man....That's a smoooooth motion.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Quote:
Originally Posted by
wheels
Now let's not get crazy.
The Reds don't ever promote their own players. they hire broadcasters to knock them down a peg if anything.
The Reds don't sign Cuban defectors away from the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, etc. either. :D
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Quote:
Originally Posted by
paintmered
With Yorman Rodriguez, Juan Duran and now Aroldis Chapman, the Reds have pulled more than their share of top talent out of Latin America.
Don't forget Humberto Valor, a SS who the Reds signed out of Venezuela in July who was said to be the top prospect in Venezuela. The Reds work in Latin America in the last two years has been very impressive. I hope it continues.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Quote:
Originally Posted by
REDblooded
Jim Callis from this week...
Drew (Winnipeg)
Why so down on Chapman? Sorry if it's asked and answered elsewhere. I do read BA, but my memory isn't always picture perfect.
Jim Callis
(2:54 PM)
Not down on him, and I'd see him as a Top 25 prospect or so, but my enthusiasm is tempered by the number of Cuban defectors who haven't lived up to expectations, and the fact that his radar-gun reading are a lot more exciting than his pitchability.
Callis forgets to mention that a good number of the Cuban defectors were well past their primes when they finally made it to the U.S.
Shoddy logic from Callis.
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Aroldis Chapman to sign with the Reds
By Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports
2 hours, 51 minutes ago
Cuban left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman, whose defection sparked a bidding war among major league teams that coveted his 100-mph fastball, agreed Sunday morning to sign for $30 million with the Cincinnati Reds, sources close the negotiations told Yahoo! Sports.
The Reds had been “going after him like crazy,” according to one source, and outbid several other teams, including the Los Angeles Angels, Florida Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays.
The 22-year-old Chapman’s value has steadily climbed since a Dec. 15 workout in Houston in which he wasn’t throwing at full speed and still hit 97 mph. His potential as a front-of-the-line starter intrigued teams from coast to coast.
The bidding increased from an initial $15.5 million offer from the Boston Red Sox in early December to the highest reported proposal of $23 million from Toronto a few days ago.
Few NL teams beyond the Reds and Marlins were linked to Chapman. The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals sent their general managers to the workout. The New York Mets were an intriguing possibility as well, fulfilling Chapman’s desire to play in a big city.
The increased interest coincided with Chapman firing Edwin Mejia, a fledgling agent who helped him establish residency in Andorra after he defected from the Cuban national team over the summer. His new agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks, are well-respected around baseball, and officials said they appreciated the transparency the Hendrickses applied to Chapman.
Because he spent his formative years in Cuba, Chapman was something of an unknown. His fastball was legendary, his slider dangerous and his changeup a potential plus pitch, but scouts had seen him a limited number of times – including during the World Baseball Classic last March – and were reluctant to engage in a blind bidding.
After the workout in Houston, many were convinced. The 6-foot-4 Chapman, not throwing at maximum effort, flashed good command of his breaking pitches in two short bullpen sessions. And his fastball led one front-office man to say, very simply, “It’s awesome.”
The Reds apparently agreed.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns
Re: Jeff Passan: Reds sign Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman to five-year, $30 million cont
Man, the only way that I could be happier right now is if the Reds decided that they need to sign a personal catcher for him that speaks Spanish and chicks dig because of his sweet pornstache.
