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Aroldis Chapman

Aroldis Chapman Interests Yankees

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The Yankees will have interest in flame-throwing lefty Aroldis Champan once he establishes residency in another country and becomes a free agent, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown and ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr.. The 21-year-old just defected from Cuba and his agent says he could be ready for the majors by spring.

As one General Manager told Brown: "all 30 teams will be interested to some degree." Check out this post for more details on the star pitcher, his weaknesses and the price he could command.

Aroldis Chapman’s Value

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Aroldis Chapman defected from Cuba and he's now free to sign with the highest bidder. So how much will teams offer the player many scouts consider the best left-handed pitching prospect in the world? ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr. gathered some estimates and hears that the 21-year-old could sign a deal worth between $30-60MM. 

When Jose Contreras defected from Cuba, the Yankees signed him for $32MM and Chapman's agent claims his client is the best player to defect since Contreras. But his agent isn't the only one singing Chapman's praises; one scouting director called the magnitude of the news "shocking."

Chapman, who also goes by the first name Albertin, can throw 100mph, but his secondary pitches need development and he's considered raw. Some question his maturity, but those who watched him in the WBC say there's no question that Chapman has charisma.

Arangure Jr. reminds us that we could be months away from a bidding war. Once we get there, the Yankees will have interest. Is he comparable to Stephen Strasburg? Most definitely. Kiley McDaniel says he's not quite as polished but represents a great example of what Strasburg would get as a free agent.

Baseball America's John Manuel says Daisuke Matsuzaka and Contreras are fair points of reference for Chapman. The Cuban lefty is younger than either of those two were when they came to the majors, and he throws harder. Manuel talked to a scout who says "you'll be searching your whole life" if you're looking for more in a pitcher.

So when will it all start? Chapman has to establish residency in another country, but his agent says he'll be ready by Spring Training, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown.

Aroldis Chapman Defects

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Aroldis Chapman is a 21 year-old lefty who's touched 100 mph with his fastball.  Interested?  According to CubaenCuentro.com, Chapman defected from the Cuban national team while the club was stationed in the Netherlands (English version here).  Chapman is currently in an undisclosed location, and he told the paper he plans to sign with a Major League club.

Chapman pitched in the WBC against Japan in March, and R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs provided analysis.  A video clip of a different WBC appearance can be seen here.

Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus confirms the defection.

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