The Cuban left-hander equipped with a 102 mph fastball established residency last week in Andorra...
Chapman's Andorran residency clears the first and most difficult of the three major hurdles to becoming a major league free agent. Because Chapman had his passport -- an almost unheard of occurrence for a Cuban defector -- establishing residency took a fraction of the time needed for most defectors and may make him available for free agency before the playoffs begin [emphasis my own], his agents say...
Chapman's career record is 24-21 and he twice led the Serie Nacional, Cuba's professional league, in strikeouts. Despite the mediocre record, the money Chapman will command is expected to exceed the $32 million signing bonus the New York Yankees paid Cuban right-hander Jose Contreras, who was 31 when he joined the Yankees in 2002.
With many of the Yanks top minor league pitchers suffering from current and past injuries (Betances, Garcia, Kennedy, Vizcaino, Brackman), it would be nice to get an ultra high-ceiling prospect to make up for some of the losses and setbacks (via BTTF).