Larry Stone of the Seattle Times wrote of Cuban Defector Aroldis Chapman last week:
Envision a 21-year-old pitcher — left-handed, no less — that has lit up radar guns to the tune of 102 mph, drawing raves from scouts as the southpaw Stephen Strasburg. Now consider that this pitcher is not just a myth, but a living, breathing entity, who can be found these days in, of all places, Madrid. And just one other thing: He's a free agent, poised to sign in the upcoming weeks with a major-league team.Chapman is going to be one of the hottest free agents in the market this fall/winter. Teams are already lining up to make chair-breaking bids. The problem is Chapman unlike the last Cuban pitcher to draw this much interest, Jose Contreras, is not a finished product. He is a prospect. He is extremely raw with little beyond his extreme fastball to his arsenal. His control is just not good at this by most reports.
Fantasy owners with deep minor league systems may well want to take a chance with Chapman. Heck, I recommend that they do. But if you're thinking of Chapman as a player ready to make an impact in 2010 you need to re-think things. He's more Kendry Morales than Contreras.
