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« Odds & Ends: Mariners, Orioles, Indians | Main | Johjima Reaches Agreement With Hanshin Tigers »
Tigers Join Aroldis Chapman Chase
9:42pm: MLB.com's Jason Beck reports that the Tigers have confirmed interest in Chapman.
Tom Moore, Detroit's Director of International Scouting, said to Beck: "We're basically just at the interest level. Because of the nature, I think it's a situation where they're going to take the time to allow clubs to spend some time with the player and see who he is."
8:18pm: Add the Detroit Tigers to the list of teams in pursuit of Aroldis Chapman, according to a report by Melissa Segura in SI.com.
Segura writes that "several industry sources expect Chapman will command more than the $32 million the Yankees paid Cuban right-hander Jose Contreras in 2002."
Speaking of the Yankees, Chapman was a guest of the team for Game 6 of the ALCS, writes Jon Heyman.
And the Blue Jays new GM, Alex Anthopoulos, has concluded that it is "not realistic" to sign Chapman, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
"We don't have enough background and scouting looks to make a proper offer," Anthopoulos wrote in an e-mail. "Going forward, these will be the types of things we will be more proactive with. I think the way the Red Sox pursued [Daisuke Matsuzaka] is a great model. They were doing homework on him for years."
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The Tigers have been one of the most aggressive teams in recent years (4th highest payroll going into 2009) and one would expect them to continue to be in the mode of winning now.
Posted by: AbnerD | October 26, 2009 at 08:22 PM
Haven't the Tigers already wasted enough money on SP? Willis, Robertson, Bonderman...etc. You'd think they'd want something more guranteed.
Posted by: Kinsm | October 26, 2009 at 09:35 PM
i know this kid is more of a thrower than pitcher. but i wish the reds could be in on this guy they need a power arm but more so a lefty in the roation and with Volquez out for prolly the whole year what about a jarrod washburn?
Posted by: kwhizz2011 | October 26, 2009 at 10:30 PM
Tigers involved? How? Sure they are a "big market" team in name, but they have an owner that is paying Ordonez, Robertson and Willis 50M next year in a severely depressed market. Can't see how they can afford to ante up 25M+ for an unknown commodity.
Posted by: johns | October 26, 2009 at 11:11 PM
"what about a jarrod washburn?"
Trust me when I say you'll be pissed with that agreement very quickly. Sure he pitched great for the Mariners... but flukes happen. The guy is a back end starter and he'll only be worse from here on out.
Posted by: start_wearing_purple | October 27, 2009 at 01:34 AM
This is just crazy. Way too much for a guy like this.
The best you can say with imported players like this is that they are a risk. Some pan out (Ichiro), most do not (Igawa). Paying this type of money for this kid is just nuts.
Posted by: bjsguess | October 27, 2009 at 02:43 AM
"You'd think they'd want something more guranteed.
Posted by: Kinsm | October 26, 2009 at 09:35 PM "
There is no such thing in the world of professional sports. Albert Pujols could blow out his knees dancing with his kids. You just never know. Every contract is a gamble.
Posted by: XCal1bur | October 27, 2009 at 06:54 AM
Let's say a team completely buys into the hype on Chapman...
Aren't we still essentially talking about a $40 million-ish deal for the 22-25 y/o seasons of a guy who hasn't thrown a single pitch on the mainland?
Even if you really think a pitcher is going to be great, are those necessarily the best years to own him? I'd rather have him on a four-year deal from 26-29, the years bracketing his likely prime.
How many pitchers have there been in recent memory whose 22-25 y/o seasons were worth $40 million? Five? Less than five?
Posted by: Sour Bob | October 27, 2009 at 07:44 AM
Crunched some numbers using Fangraphs.... A reality check here on the 22-25 y/o seasons/$40 mil in value question:
name/worth $40m+ age 22-25?
Josh Beckett/no, $38m
Matt Cain/yes, $62.2m
Zach Duke/no, $31.7m
Matt Garza/no, $37m
Zack Greinke/yes, $74.9m
Cole Hamels/yes, $62.5m
Dan Haren/nope $31.7m
Ubaldo Jimenez/yes, $49.2m
Josh Johnson/yes, $43.7m
Jon Lester/yes, $57.8m
Tim Lincecum/yup, $83.9m
Ricky Nolasco/no, $21.3m
CC Sabathia/yes, $54.3m
James Shields/no, $25.4m
Justin Verlander/yes, $43.9m
Jered Weaver/no, $37.5m
So I guess the lesson is yeah, Chapman might absolutely be worth $40m+ between 22 and 25, IF he's consistently a #2/#3 starter right out of the gate, and/or if he reels off a top ten season in value during one of those four years.
Scouts really think he's going to do that?
Posted by: Sour Bob | October 27, 2009 at 08:07 AM
The Tigers are kidding themselves.
The Yankees get everyone! They always have the top pick of free agents every season and that is why MLB sucks.
Posted by: Hellion | October 27, 2009 at 08:51 AM
""This is just crazy. Way too much for a guy like this.
The best you can say with imported players like this is that they are a risk. Some pan out (Ichiro), most do not (Igawa). Paying this type of money for this kid is just nuts."
My problem is that Chapman still seems to be a very flawed young player.
Yeah, he's lefthanded, 21-years-old, and he throws an easy 96-99 fastball.
But he also has mediocre command of that pitch, and he lacks a legitimate offspeed pitch. He still needs to develop better command and a second pitch before he can even come close to being a solid starter in the majors.
Some team is going to pay $40-60M for a prospect that still needs to take major developmental strides? Seems odd.
Posted by: scribbletone | October 27, 2009 at 09:23 AM
Hellion cry about it.
Posted by: Casanova Wong | October 27, 2009 at 09:25 AM
As I have said a number of times on this forum, I am all for the players getting everything they can, but risking even $40 million on this guy is foolish. Much smarter to spend the money on established free agents rather than a guy who may never get above AA.
Posted by: Redbird | October 27, 2009 at 10:17 AM
teams blow king's ransoms on mediocre "talent" underachievers and washed up veterans every minute so why is risking a bundle on Chapman any different ?
I wish him a world of success and may he laugh all the way to the bank(s).
Posted by: ToBe | October 27, 2009 at 10:22 AM
I don't like chapman.. every report i see is of him drinking and smoking.. 40 million is a large risk for a VERY immature kid.. however thank god for Mr. Illitch .. all you ever here is how we have to trade granderson or E. Jackson to save payroll.. that's not going to happen thanks to the greatest owner inn sports.. the guy loves det. so much that he's willing to loose 30 mil. a year to put a competitive team on the field.... everyone inn detroit should....buy some pizza !!!!!
Posted by: wolverine119 | October 27, 2009 at 10:27 AM
"I don't like chapman.. every report i see is of him drinking and smoking.. 40 million is a large risk for a VERY immature kid.."
Whoa, a 21-year-old kid drinking and smoking.. what a monster. Obviously, nobody in the big leagues drinks or smokes, they're all shining lights from heaven.
Posted by: scribbletone | October 27, 2009 at 11:19 AM
good point scribbletone.. i guess they all can't be porcello @ 20...
Posted by: wolverine119 | October 27, 2009 at 11:35 AM
tigers and twins suck
Posted by: gosox22 | October 27, 2009 at 11:38 AM
funney thing about chapman is how much it's going 2 piss of Scott Boras when this kid gets 40 mil. and he's not as polished as Strasburg... someone's going to pay for this down the line
Posted by: wolverine119 | October 27, 2009 at 11:38 AM
This smells Yankees all the way, teams cannot afford to take a chance like this.
Posted by: Cyyoung | October 27, 2009 at 11:42 AM
This not sour grapes about Yanks, this is just what they do and can afford. 29 teams cannot afford to take this chance, to spend 40-60 million on unproven commodity, and have it be a bust. They are not afraid to take this chance, for that I give them credit.
Posted by: Cyyoung | October 27, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Drinking and Smoking equals immature? damn you must hate Obama.
Posted by: 661dodgerblue | October 27, 2009 at 12:22 PM
There is no such thing in the world of professional sports. Albert Pujols could blow out his knees dancing with his kids. You just never know. Every contract is a gamble.
Posted by: XCal1bur | October 27, 2009 at 06:54 AM
You're on crack if you don't think Lackey (the only current fa seeking that kind of money) is more of a gurantee at this point over Chapman.
Posted by: Kinsm | October 27, 2009 at 01:52 PM
"Whoa, a 21-year-old kid drinking and smoking"
Wasn't it John Kruk who famously told a young fan who confronted him with "you're not supposed to be smoking, you are an athlete" that he replied with " Son, I ain't an athlete, I am a ball player!"
Anyway, ball players, managers and cigarette smoking have gone hand in hand for decades. Who has not caught, say Jimmy Leyland getting a few drags from a cigarette over the years in the dugout even in recent years? That guy was a chain smoker in the dugout when he managed the Lakeland Tigers A Ball team in Lakeland, FL during the middle 70's and am an eye witness to that, the guy had a cigarette in his mouth most of the time back then. Many ball players had vices like that and in a 3rd world country like Cuba? Wait until he gets brought over here and "liberalized" into the progressive do's and don't s..
Posted by: johns | October 27, 2009 at 07:41 PM
Yes blame the liberals.
Posted by: Kinsm | October 27, 2009 at 11:19 PM
"Yes blame the liberals."
Not that I smoke (which I don't), but who else is the king of outlawing, or forcing their agenda on everyone that their 10% hard core base thinks is fit? The last 40 years proves that fact.
Posted by: johns | October 28, 2009 at 01:05 AM