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Aroldis Chapman

Aroldis Chapman Rumors: Saturday

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According to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com, the Red Sox are "starting to pull back" from their pursuit of Aroldis Chapman.  Boston was one of the first clubs to offer a contract to the Cuban left-hander, worth a reported $15.5MM and made before Chapman switched agents from Edwin Mejia to the Hendricks brothers.  Now that the bidding has now reportedly passed the $20MM mark, however, the Sox aren't willing to spend that much on "someone they believe has a lot of question marks."

The Red Sox were seen as one of three 'finalist' candidates for Chapman's services, along with the Blue Jays and Angels.  It was reported yesterday that Toronto had offered Chapman a $23MM deal, and today, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star breaks down how and why the Jays (not known for being big spenders) are willing to break the bank for this particular prospect.

Olney’s Latest: Chapman, A’s, Yankees, Marlins

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In his blog post this morning, ESPN's Buster Olney notes that evaluators are split on Aroldis Chapman, as some see him as once in a generation talent, while others see extreme risk because of control and makeup concerns. "Where was Randy Johnson when he was that age?" asked one scout, and the answer is in A-ball walking 94 batters in 119.2 innings.

Here's the latest on Chapman, and here are the rest of Olney's rumors…

  • Olney hears that if Oakland doesn't commit to a new ballpark for the Athletics, that commissioner Bud Selig will step in and negotiate a lucrative territorial rights deal with the Giants, similar to what happened with the Orioles when the Nationals moved into town. That could result in the A's getting their long desired San Jose stadium.
  • The Yankees are in no big rush to sign a righty hitting left fielder, and are content to let the market for guys like Reed Johnson and Jonny Gomes play out. Last night we learned that the team had interest in bringing Jerry Hairston Jr. back. 
  • The Marlins continue to scour the free agent market for a closer, however Jose Valverde is too expensive and they aren't expected to bring back Kevin Gregg. 

Aroldis Chapman Rumors: Friday

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7:30pm: ESPN's Jorge Arangure says (via Twitter) that if the Yankees don't sign Chapman, he'd be willing to bet that it has more to do with makeup than money. 

5:49pm: Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com tweets that the Reds are in on Chapman, however the Jays remain the favorite. In a second tweet, Rosenthal mentions that Toronto has money to spend after sending Scott Rolen, Alex Rios, and Roy Halladay packing.

4:00pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the Blue Jays have a "decent shot" at signing Chapman, now that they appear to have bid over $20MM. He names the Nationals, Marlins, Red Sox, A's and Angels as potential players for the prospect.

12:11pm: As the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes continue, at least one outlet is reporting that the Blue Jays have made the left-hander a considerable offer. Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald reports that the Jays offered Chapman a $23MM deal (click here for the Miami-based paper's original Spanish story and here for some Drunk Jays Fans analysis).

Ebro reports that the Marlins raised their offer to $16MM, but have now conceded defeat. Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reported yesterday that the Marlins did not expect to sign Chapman. That leaves the Angels, Red Sox and Blue Jays in pursuit of the Cuban prospect.

Gammons On Chapman, Lowell, Damon

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Peter Gammons answered fans' questions today in a chat session for the Boston Globe. Most of the inquiries were Red Sox-related or required some guesswork from Gammons, but let's check out a few highlights….

  • Gammons speculates that the Angels will end up landing Aroldis Chapman, pointing to Chapman's connection to Kendry Morales as a possible factor.
  • Mike Lowell's hip is improving and his thumb injury shouldn't be an issue by March. Gammons thinks there will still be some teams that would be willing to take on $2-3MM of the third baseman's contract, and that the Red Sox will eventually be able to trade him.
  • The Red Sox may try to acquire another big bat sometime down the road, but right now the team doesn't seem too concerned about it. They think their improved defense will help make up for the offense they lost when they parted ways with Jason Bay.
  • If Johnny Damon can't find a two-year contract that's close to his asking price, Gammons wouldn't be surprised to see the outfielder back in the Bronx next season.

Aroldis Chapman Decision Coming Soon?

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4:13pm: The Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles haven't been in touch with the Hendricks brothers since telling Chapman's representatives how they valued the pitcher.

1:40pm: Gordon Edes of ESPN.com hears that the Red Sox are still pursuing Chapman and remain "very much in the picture" to sign the lefty. The Red Sox have continued talking with Chapman's representatives since making their initial offer of $15MM-plus. Meanwhile, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe also hears that the Yankees are out.

THURSDAY, 6:35am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted last night that the Angels are "trying like crazy" to sign Chapman.  Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets disagreement from an Angels source: "Despite what you read, we're not in that deep."

6:56pm: Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald tweets that internally, the Marlins have "conceded defeat" in the Chapman sweepstakes.

WEDNESDAY, 3:55pm: At least three teams are out on Chapman: the Astros, Yankees, and Mets (ESPN's Buster Olney via Twitter, and MLB.com's Brian McTaggart).

TUESDAY, 8:48pm: Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes may be nearing a close.  According to Rodriguez, Chapman is saying that he "expects to sign within the next three or four days."  As many as 15 clubs have shown some degree of interest in the Cuban left-hander, including several small-market franchises. 

One such team, the Marlins, are particularly taken with Chapman since they hope that South Florida's large Cuban population will tempt the 21-year-old into signing at something of a hometown discount.  Rodriguez reports that the Marlins have already made a $13MM contract offer to Chapman and have now raised that offer — a wise move given that the Red Sox have already offered Chapman $15.5MM.

The Marlins' maneuvering may be all for naught, however.  An unnamed source tells Rodriguez that the Angels and Blue Jays seem to be the favorites to sign the Cuban left-hander, and that Chapman will sign with one of the two clubs for "around $21MM."

Rosenthal On Holliday, Sheets, Valverde

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column up in which he predicts destinations for ten of the top remaining free agents.  A few worth noting:

  • Rosenthal guesses the Cardinals will sign Matt Holliday for around seven years and $120MM.
  • Rosenthal likes the Marlins for Aroldis Chapman.
  • He sees the Cubs nabbing Ben Sheets, a possibility I hadn't really considered.  It's unclear how much money the Cubs have left and how much Sheets will require.
  • Rosenthal expects the Tigers to sign one of the available DH types (Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye, and Carlos Delgado are out there).
  • Rosenthal's choice for Jose Valverde, the Tigers, makes more sense than my earlier A's prediction.  Rosenthal admits that the Tigers surrendering their #19 pick would be "a significant obstacle," but one person I talked to noted that it might not be since the Tigers traditionally go over slot and could therefore get a big talent later in the draft.

Odds & Ends: Rincon, Calero, Rangers, Encarnacion

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Here are some links to kick off the weekend…

  • Troy Renck of The Denver Post provides the details on Juan Rincon's contract with the Rockies. He'll earn $800K plus incentives in the big leagues, or $20K per month in the minors.
  • Satchel Price at Beyond The Box Score wonders why we haven't heard more about Kiko Calero this offseason. The Cubs and Giants were interested in the righthander at various times this offseason.
  • Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas reiterates what we heard yesterday: the Rangers are seeking a veteran catcher. He mentions that they've shown interest in both Rod Barajas and Dioner Navarro.
  • Edwin Encarnacion suffered burns to his face in a fireworks accident according to ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas. He will not require surgery, and will be ready to go in Spring Training.
  • Jeff Passan at Yahoo! Sports lists ten players we should keep an on eye to see how their market develops during the remainder of the offseason. His list is led by Matt Holliday and Aroldis Chapman.
  • MLB.com's Matthew Leach notes that if the Cardinals felt they weren't in a good position to re-sign Holliday, they would have moved on to other targets by now. 
  • Dick Kaegel of MLB.com says that "it would take a calamitous showing" for Royals' manager Trey Hillman to lose his job this season given his relationship with GM Dayton Moore.
  • Steve Slowinski at DRaysBay goes back in time to evaluate the Danys Baez and Lance Carter for Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany trade.

Blue Jays Pursuing Aroldis Chapman

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The Blue Jays are the latest team to enter the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes, according to ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr.. They held a private workout for the Cuban left-hander in Florida yesterday morning and met with his representatives. The Hendricks brothers were in Florida, so Arangure Jr. wonders if Chapman may be close to signing with someone.

The Blue Jays were one of the many teams to watch Chapman work out in Houston last month. After the workout, Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told fans on MLB.com that he was committed to adding amateur talent.

"We will be on top of every amateur player that is available," he said.

Chapman has plenty of suitors besides the Blue Jays, of course. The Yankees are eyeing him and the A's, Marlins, Orioles and Angels are among the other interested clubs. The Red Sox reportedly offered Chapman $15.5MM, but at least one person thinks that won't be nearly enough. One of Arangure Jr.'s sources says Chapman may be in position to command $20-25MM.

Odds & Ends: Byrd, Werth, Tigers, Brewers

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Here's your first batch of links for 2010…

  • Marlon Byrd signed with the Cubs partly because of hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Jaramillo worked with Byrd in Texas.
  • The Marlins are willing to spend on Aroldis Chapman because they don't anticipate handing big bucks over to their first round pick next year, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The Marlins have the 23rd overall pick in the draft.
  • Jayson Werth is set to become a free agent after the 2010 season, and MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says he isn't sure the Phillies could retain him if he goes looking for a deal similar to what the Mets gave Jason Bay. 
  • Jason Beck of MLB.com says he'd be surprised if the Tigers didn't trade for a veteran reliever on a short-term contract to fill in at the back of the bullpen.
  • Don't discount the idea of Brewers' GM Doug Melvin making another move to bolster his pitching staff, says Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Such a move could come before the season, or ahead of the trade deadline. 
  • MLB.com's Corey Brock notes that Padres' GM Jed Hoyer has talked about finding players that fit Petco Park, which would be "an athletic one, has doubles-power, someone who can run … if it's an outfielder, someone who can go get a ball, someone who won't clog the bases."
  • The Rangers will bring in "at least one and possibly two" veteran catchers, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. He notes that the team has talked about Rod Barajas and Yorvit Torrealba, but both are looking for two-year deals. 
  • In an interview with Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chipper Jones says that he's told team officials he'll only change positions if the team brings in "the right personnel." Chipper also reiterated that he's going year-to-year at this point of his career, and admits there's parts of being a ballplayer that he's sick of.
  • Here's the current 2010 draft order based on the free agent signings that are official. At the moment, the Angels have five of the first 37 picks. 

Angels Preparing Offer For Chapman?

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Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles says that the Angels "appear to be lining up an offer" for Cuban southpaw Aroldis Chapman. The Halos might have an advantage over other clubs in the Chapman sweepstakes because of first baseman Kendry Morales, who has become a good friend of the lefthander. 

"Selfishly, we're a nice fit. It's hard to come over here, and Kendry gives him some idea of the pitfalls of the adjustment," Angels scouting director Eddie Bane said. "It's a fit, but who knows? It depends on the price."

So far only two teams have made an offer to Chapman (the Red Sox and Marlins), and Bane said that he doesn't "see a team like Oakland or Kansas City or someone like that getting him." We just learned about the A's interest in Chapman two days ago.

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