Is Aroldis Chapman worth the hype? After he threw at the Baseball USA complex in Houston on Tuesday, the baseball world can finally judge.
Chapman, the 21-year-old Cuban sensation who is shopping for a major league team this offseason, impressed the 15 teams who watched him throw, according to Boston.com. The Nationals' Mike Rizzo and the Astros' Ed Wade were the only general managers in attendance, while 13 other teams — including the Red Sox — sent scouts as representatives.
Chapman's fastball wavered between 92-94 mph and topped out at 97 mph on the radar gun. He also threw a slider and a changeup.
Other clubs who watched Chapman included the Yankees, Angels, Cubs, Phillies and more.
"I think it's important that he demonstrated that he's ready, that he's in shape, that he's throwing free and easy and that's what he did," agent Randy Hendricks told Boston.com. "[He had] a lot of life on his pitches [and] threw real well. Not all-out, which is what we told the teams he would not do, but sufficient, I think, to let everybody know he's ready for prime time."
Chapman could be in the market for a deal that will net him in the vicinity of $15 million, and judging from Tuesday's session, he'll get it. He may, however, need some fine-tuning in the minors before he is ready for big league action.
