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Thursday, July 02, 2009

Fanhouse: Cuban Pitcher Aroldis Chapman Defects

And pulling a Jose Osoria…he now ar Bob.

ESPN’s Jorge Arangure relays a report from a Cuban website that 21-year-old Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman walked out of the Cuban national team’s hotel room in Rotterdam, the Netherlands today and plans to defect to America to pitch in the major leagues in the near future. What happens next is all speculation at this point, but Arangure says Chapman is the best Cuban prospect since Jose Contreras and could command more than $30 million on the open market.

...Baseball America’s John Manuel relayed this quote from a scout in his story today about Chapman:

“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. ... 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.”

Repoz Posted: July 02, 2009 at 06:15 PM | 33 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: international, minor leagues, prospect reports, scouting

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1. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 02, 2009 at 06:37 PM (#3240571)

21-year-old Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman

So that puts him at what, 25 years old?

2. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: July 02, 2009 at 06:40 PM (#3240581)

So, who would you pay more for, Strasburg or Chapman?

3. Eric P. Posted: July 02, 2009 at 06:43 PM (#3240587)

We know for sure Strasburg has a great breaking ball. Not so for Chapman. Makes it a pretty easy call.

4. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: July 02, 2009 at 06:44 PM (#3240590)

Are their many Cubans with English surnames like Chapman? That was the detail of this story that caught my eye.

5. Harold Reynolds Number Posted: July 02, 2009 at 06:49 PM (#3240595)

So that puts him at what, 25 years old?

Making it to 25 with his stuff without serious injury may make him more valuable, rather than less.

No doubt Strasburg is worth more, but he has only one bidder and he'd be crazy to go back to school. Chapman should get more, if he's healthy.

6. JRVJ (formerly Delta Socrates) Posted: July 02, 2009 at 06:53 PM (#3240600)

Who's probably in on-him, though?

I don't think the Yanks or the Red Sox are particularly in (although of course, they arguably are in on everyone). The Mets? The Phils? Perhaps the Cuban ChiSox? Maybe the Angels (who already have Kendry Morales)?

7. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: July 02, 2009 at 06:55 PM (#3240601)

The Mets? The Phils? Perhaps the Cuban ChiSox?

If he gives a good workout, the Mets have to be in on this, no?

8. Obama Bomaye Posted: July 02, 2009 at 06:58 PM (#3240607)

We know for sure Strasburg has a great breaking ball. Not so for Chapman.

Chapman showed a couple nasty sliders in the WBC.

9. Benji Gil Gamesh is not being paid to be that guy Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:03 PM (#3240618)

Baseball America’s John Manuel relayed this quote from a scout

Is "scout" Dutch for "Scott Boras"?

10. Mike Emeigh

Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:04 PM (#3240620)

Is "scout" Dutch for "Scott Boras"?

Can't be, otherwise this would have been in a Heyman column.

-- MWE

11. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:08 PM (#3240632)

The Yankees are interested in Chapman.

12. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:10 PM (#3240639)

Is there any video of Chapman out there?

13. Barnaby Jones Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:10 PM (#3240640)

The Yankees are interested in Chapman.

Fat kids are interested in cake.

14. Eraser-X is emphatically dominating teh site!!! Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:14 PM (#3240647)

Is there any video of Chapman out there?

sure:

From WBC Japanese feed

15. fra paolo Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:15 PM (#3240649)

Are there many Cubans with English surnames like Chapman?

A number of West Indians settled in Baraguá at some point. He's possibly related.

EDIT: Apparently during the 1920s and 1930s there were economic migrants looking for jobs in the sugar cane industry. They brought their cricket with them!

16. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:20 PM (#3240657)

Yeah, fra paolo, that city's name came up while I was doing further research. I knew that West Indians migrated to the DR and Nicaragua (David Green and George Bell, to name two players from my era), but didn't know about Cuba.

17. Justin 'The Cespedobear' T Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:24 PM (#3240667)

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.

Surrrrrrre.

18. Rich Rifkin Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:39 PM (#3240694)

#16 -- is that Bernie Williams's family story, too?

19. Rich Rifkin Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:40 PM (#3240698)

We know for sure Strasburg has a great breaking ball. Not so for Chapman. Makes it a pretty easy call.

It's also doubtful Chapman knows a thing about method acting.

20. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:42 PM (#3240700)

Thanks, E-X.

Having watched that video, I think both that Chapman's going to be very, very rich, and that he's not particularly close to the majors. He throws 94-97 from the left side with good command, and he looks like a pretty great athlete. (If baseball teams actually were selling jeans, hot damn.) On the other hand, his slider is terribly inconsistent. There's a hard slider that looked like an mlb pitch, and with his stuff fastball/slider should be enough to start, but based on how many bad sliders he threw, it's going to take a lot of refinement for him to throw the hard slider consistently.

21. strummer Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:46 PM (#3240707)

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.

I'm not sure what half of these things really mean - it's almost like a Mad Lib to me. I fully expected the quote to go on "He's got a chapstick on the starboard bow, his fastball is a hamdinger feather ruffler and he brings gravy home for dinner."

22. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:48 PM (#3240713)

I fully expect Kenny Williams to have him locked into a 6-year, $14 million contract by the end of the week.

23. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:55 PM (#3240734)

strummer, watch the video. it all basically makes sense when you see him pitch. Chapman's legs go allllll the way up.

I fully expect Kenny Williams to have him locked into a 6-year, $14 million contract by the end of the week.

Is this supposed to be a complaint about Kenny Williams? I certainly would have no complaints at all if the Red Sox inked that deal with Chapman.

24. Eraser-X is emphatically dominating teh site!!! Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:57 PM (#3240738)

I fully expect Kenny Williams to have him locked into a 6-year, $14 million contract by the end of the week.

Is this supposed to be a complaint about Kenny Williams? I certainly would have no complaints at all if the Red Sox inked that deal with Chapman.

Naw, Dewey's a Sox fan too. I would guess that it's a reference to the deep ties that Williams has developed with the community of Cuban players.

25. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:58 PM (#3240741)

Is this supposed to be a complaint about Kenny Williams?

Not at all. Just a comment about the White Sox's connection to Cuban-born ballplayers.

26. Rich Rifkin Posted: July 02, 2009 at 08:00 PM (#3240749)

Regarding the Japanese video, I liked the humorous interchange between the announcers --

First guy: ????? ????? ????????????????
Second guy: ??? ?? ?? ?? ??
First guy: ???? ?????!!!

My best Japanese translation --

First guy: Holy sh!t, Yuki, check out the big ass on the guy in the red pants.?
Second guy: Yes, the Japanese ass is not so big.
First guy: Thank god our players don't have to wear his pants!!!

27. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: July 02, 2009 at 08:01 PM (#3240752)

Nice Rich!

28. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: July 02, 2009 at 08:02 PM (#3240754)

So your statement of belief held no hidden snark, but rather meant what it plainly said? How odd. The internet will never cease to surprise us.

I can definitely see the case that the White Sox have maneuvered themselves into a good position here with Chapman. Be interesting to see how this plays out, because the kid looks like a major prospect.

29. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: July 02, 2009 at 08:10 PM (#3240765)

Rich, I don't know about Williams. But I totally forgot about Mike Lowell whose dad migrated from Cuba.

30. JRVJ (formerly Delta Socrates) Posted: July 02, 2009 at 10:47 PM (#3240960)

Actually, I understood that Mike Lowell's dad is/was German, and he married Mike's mother in Cuba (or some such).

They then moved to Puerto Rico.

31. Darren

Posted: July 02, 2009 at 11:02 PM (#3240973)

I'm not sure what half of these things really mean - it's almost like a Mad Lib to me. I fully expected the quote to go on "He's got a chapstick on the starboard bow, his fastball is a hamdinger feather ruffler and he brings gravy home for dinner."

Sweet sassy molassey this guy sounds great!

32. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: July 02, 2009 at 11:17 PM (#3240981)

I fully expected the quote to go on "He's got a chapstick on the starboard bow, his fastball is a hamdinger feather ruffler and he brings gravy home for dinner."

my hovercraft is full of eels

33. The Keith Law Blog Blah Blah (battlekow) Posted: July 03, 2009 at 02:30 AM (#3241127)

My box is broken; help me, blue elephant.

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Thursday, July 02, 2009

Fanhouse: Cuban Pitcher Aroldis Chapman Defects

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