International free agent update

by Travis G on Aug 24, 2009 5:00 PM EDT in New York Yankees News

The latest on Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman -

Very soon, Chapman will establish residency outside of the United States, which will then expedite the process for his application to Major League Baseball for free agency...

At this point, the baseball world mostly considers Chapman a thrower rather than a pitcher. During the workout, his fastballs land in the middle of the strike zone, but when he begins to unleash his breaking stuff, several coaches move away from the backstop to avoid getting hit by balls bouncing off the catcher. The curveballs that do hit their target, however, drop several inches. Like many Cuban pitchers, Chapman has a vast repertoire: two-seam fastball, cut fastball, curve, slider, splitter and two or three kinds of changeups. But unlike many Cuban pitchers who throw a lot of junk (see: Liván and Orlando Hernández), the flamethrowing Chapman needs to master only one or two off-speed pitches to be effective in the majors. Right now scouts rate his secondary pitches as merely average, which is understandable considering he began to throw them less than five years ago.

Then there's the newest Japanese phenom, 18-year-old Yusei Kikuchi, who can reach 94 MPH -

By October, [Kikuchi] must choose Japan or the U.S. for a career he's dreamed about since primary school. Signing at home would rule Kikuchi out of a U.S. move for as many as nine years, while choosing Major League Baseball may open the door to a stream of amateurs spurning Japan for a chance to play alongside countrymen like Ichiro and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

"Kikuchi would open things up completely," Danny MacLeith, a scout for the Chicago Cubs, said in an Aug. 17 interview behind home plate at Koshien, in Nishinomiya city west of Osaka. "If he's available and wants to go, he needs to say so because the Japanese draft is two months away. It's time."

Since the Red Sox broke the unwritten rule that ML teams wouldn't sign Japanese amateurs (with Junichi Tazawa), why not go for this guy? (via BBTF)

Miguel Angel Sano still hasn't signed with anyone -

Major League Baseball launched an investigation into the age and identity of Sano in June. The investigation has confirmed his identity, but the study of his age remains inconclusive, which has delayed his signing.

He's asking for $5.5 to $7 million, which is just ridiculous. I don't see him getting more than about $4 million.

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Comments

Can we expect

to see Chapman next season as a starter? If Hughes comes out of the pen next year we are shaping up to have a dominate staff.

by On The Yanks of the Rivera on Aug 24, 2009 6:08 PM EDT reply actions

Let’s not go penciling him into the rotation just yet. As far as I know, the guy’s only had limited success in international competition, and his bullpen results weren’t exactly dominant (not that I’d want the Yankees to base any decision on one session). He sounds like a guy who will need a couple of years in the minors before he’ll be ready to move into a major league rotation – IF he’s ever ready.

by long time listener on Aug 24, 2009 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions

I doubt...

…That Chapman is anything next year. He has average off speed stuff and NO consistency. A, AA or AAA is going to fold under that fastball of his but in the ML, you need that 2nd pitch to be effective (Rivera is the freak exception probably because of his pinpoint control).

by RuBiCaNT on Aug 24, 2009 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions

If you saw him in the WBC against

the squads that had a lot of MLBers, you don’t want him anywhere near the Yankees rotation next season.

If his contract is reasonable and the Yanks DO manage to grab him, I think we could expect him to be in the pen should he so happen to make the Bigs out of ST.

Do what Jerry Hairston do

by FreeBradshaw on Aug 24, 2009 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Probably a bad idea

I really hope the Yankees don’t give this guy a ton of guaranteed money and then force him into the major league rotation when he may not have any business being there. With Joba and Hughes in the rotation in 2010 (presuming non-buffoonery on the Yankees part) the last spot needs to be filled by a Pettitte-style reliable #4 type rather than a shot in the dark/potential disaster like Chapman.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Aug 24, 2009 6:53 PM EDT reply actions

i believe Cash

knows what he’s doing, and would want Chapman to start in the minors (maybe Hi-A), looking to promote quickly. however, his agent will try his best for a ML deal, and someone may give it to him (Boston, Texas, Mets). that said, i’m not averse to a 3-year ML deal – by that 3rd year, he should be at least a dependable reliever, if not an ace starter.

by Travis G on Aug 24, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

PITCHING

REMEMBER CONTRAIS FROM THE WHITE SOX?

BIG YANKEE FAN,FROM MASS. HAVE TO PUT UP WIYH ALL THESE HOLE SOX FANS

by JEETS on Aug 25, 2009 8:16 AM EDT reply actions

REMEMBER CONTRAIS FROM THE WHITE SOX?"

So what?! Every black cuban pitcher has to suck because of Contreras?

by Static Shock on Aug 25, 2009 1:59 PM EDT reply actions

El Duque was pretty good

wasn’t he?

I don’t think that’s why he said that. Chapman’s may cost a lot of dough (like Conteras), and even the Yankees are feeling the hurt of the last international pitcher they spent big bucks on, Kei Igawa.

Id rather them not waste their money on such a project like Chapman if he costs as much as Igawa.

If he doesn’t command all that much, then fine.

Do what Jerry Hairston do

by FreeBradshaw on Aug 25, 2009 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions