Halos Heaven

Want to finally make a splash this offseason?

This kid will let you do it for cheap. At least compared to other long term FA contracts.

Signing this guy is kinda like calling a medium raise with KJ suited. It’s not a sure thing, but it’s a damn good play and it’s certainly worth seeing what the future holds.

If you want the typical fan to forget the political fallout of letting Lackey and Figgins walk this is a good way to assuage that.

Nashdiesel - January 6, 2010 reply

I like your thinking.

Personally, I’m fine either way. But I have a friend who’s ready to track down the Ninja and start screaming at him, so this would help that situation. :-)

AlanFalcon - January 6, 2010 reply

I was totally against this

until I saw the ear ring.

clover_black - January 6, 2010 reply

I prefer his gold canines...

Very 90’s Wu Tang.

Red114 - January 6, 2010 reply

Actually, I think it's pretty good dentistry...

Appears some dentist in the DR fixed those canines quite well. Esthetics takes a back seat in most countries other than the US. The gold showing like that is quite ok there, but not here in the US. And it is not really considered “bling”, but more like a status symbol: “I can afford to fix my teeth”
Our dental office staff loves to analyze photos of celebs/sports stars’ smiles to determine what they might have had done. Keeps us entertained….

Hope his pitching (if the Angels sign him) shines like his teeth!

hbhalofan - January 6, 2010 reply

Hey don't get me wrong...

Any comparison I make to the Wu Tang Clan should be considered high praise.

Red114 - January 6, 2010 reply

I'm cool with the the gold slugs.

It’s the Kayne sunglasses and butt tight Hollister t-shirt…It’s all wrong.

But, dude defected from Cuba, and is about to get paid. (And he’s homies with K-Mo) That’s player !

Keep this dude away from Juan and his frosty tips and this fit just may work. Now if we could only get Arredondo to get his shit together.

Funke5ive - January 7, 2010 reply

Juan wouldn't give him frosty tips

He hasn’t earned them. This isn’t amateur hour here.

Commander_Nate - January 8, 2010 reply

If you say so.

Funke5ive - January 8, 2010 reply

I can only imagine our chances at getting more Cuban players if we sign him

jtkelly86 - January 6, 2010 reply

Yeah, pretty soon the CIA, FBI and NSA might be monitoring our organization

If we get anymore players from left-wing radical governments that are on bad terms with the US government that is.

If we had two Cubans and like 5 Venezuelans that would probably raise some kind of color-coded alert system in someone’s office…

Angel "Red" eh....

Someone call McCarthy!

Nashdiesel - January 6, 2010 reply

The Red Scare

Red Scare can be the name of our lineup this year.

SalmonStream - January 6, 2010 reply

I like that.

WiHaloFan - January 6, 2010 reply

Yes! I love it.

Now we have to sign him, just so we can call our team that. Kind of like the The Big Red Machine but more, well, communist. As a bonus, we’d probably become Obama’s favorite team!

Rally Manatee - January 6, 2010 reply

Uh...

..don’t you have it backward? Isn’t there a greater chance of Castro wondering why so many of his “citizens/ballplayers/comrades” are fleeing the “People’s Paradise” known as Cuba? These guys are welcomed here with open arms. If any investigation were to occur (yes, I know you’re kidding), I think it would be Castro’s secret police, not the FBI, CIA, or NSA. That or they will be more aggressive on players participating in international tournaments.

sothball - January 6, 2010 reply

Castro's Secret Police

they themselves are not allowed to leave the island. Whole lotta investigating cannot be done on suspects who done fled when the cops cannot flea on over either.

I get it.

What I meant is there’s a greater chance of not allowing certain players to travel to international competitions if it’s suspected they will defect. Hence, the more aggressive (pro-active) background investigations prior to travel.

sothball - January 7, 2010 reply

Just saw on MLBTR that the Marlins are conceding defeat in the sweepstakes

Epic Dean - January 6, 2010 reply

Excellent

Now if only the Red Sox are out, I feel confident we can beat the Jays and whoever’s left.

I'm lazy...

Can someone tell me why he’s Cuban and his last name is Chapman?

3rd Echelon - January 6, 2010 reply

it is a diverse country

just because we don’t go there don’t mean others don’t…

My wife is Cuban.

But thanks for making me feel like a dope.

3rd Echelon - January 8, 2010 reply

Because it was colonized by White Europeans from Spain...

…who brought in black slaves and also intermingled with the locals. Later the US took over. Until the Cold War you could come and go as you pleased. So, it’s a pretty mixed society ethnically.

someone is gonna go Jimmy the Greek here

can we just end this digression now here please

I think an Al Campanis reference would be more appropriate

Moondoggy - January 6, 2010 reply

between the two, Jimmy's was more innocent

Campanis was like “Their won’t be any jobs for us whities left” … if you watch the whole video Koppel actually keeps trying to rescue Campanis and he just keeps digging himself a deeper hole that becomes a grave.

Meanwhile Jimmy the Greek is just kind of proud of his knowledge of American History and smiles thru the whole thing.

Well they (3rd Echelon) asked...

I was just explaining.

I was a Poli Sci major and International Security/Conflict Resolution minor. Before that I was a History major. I like explaining this stuff. I find it often has answers and adds reasoning for the insanity of today.

Or something like that.

where are the m's

okay first of all what happened to what i wrote before??

second, they keep taking our players

but congrats to randy johnson on a great career, even if you beat the angels in the embarrassing one game playoff in 95. glad you got 300 in washington (so i could watch it on tv).

Halos in DE - January 6, 2010 reply

Just saying..

he looks A LOT like Soriano IMO

vlad IS my man - January 6, 2010 reply

*Alfonso

vlad IS my man - January 6, 2010 reply

Please, please God no...

I understand, we hurt for pitching, our rotation is currently down to its last depths, and there aren’t many (any) non-gambles left on the market…

But, criminy, 20$million for a rough-edges high heater who needs another half-decade in the minors just to learn his stuff? No thanks; let’s just sit on it. Grab some national attention while he decides, then bow-out late (notice how other teams are slowly dropping just because they want their names mentioned in the media?).

Pass on this. Let the Red Sox waste another couple dozen million on a foreign-signed pitcher.

^ ^this^ ^

as a gambler, this seems like a bad gamble.

man this isn't even accurate plus is an exaggeration in parts

first it is 21mil. (so your point is the same). but it isn’t a half a decade it would be like 2 years on a 5-6 year deal similar to morales’s. so would be more like 3.5 a year which aint bad for a gamble.

Where has it ever been established that he needs half a decade?

I’ve heard everything from he could be ready for some Major League appearances late this season to he’ll be ready in a year or two. Five years never came up in any of the assessments I’ve seen.

i know there is nothing to make one think it will take that long lol

Kid needs time.

He’s 22, he’s R O U G H, and, if projected to be a major league starter, he needs as much time as any newbie to professional American baseball, which even for most elite pitchers is 2-3 years at a minimum.

However, there’s not even a guarantee he can pan out to be a starter. People are projecting he’s not even going to pan out as a reliever, and is a ridiculous risk for any team.

again saying it will take 5 years is unrealistic even for a pitcher that is raw, and there is no where that says he wont pan out as a reliever

at the minimum. also isn’t any prospect a risk? starsburg is a big risk to but being payed way more than what this guy will be paid.

God, it's a hyperbole. There's no way to know exactly how long he'd be in the minors.

See Cliff Lee? He made his debut in 2007. He was drafted in ’02.

Look how that turned out..

Felix Hernandez was what, 20? Griffey was 19...

Age has nothing to do with being MLB ready. Talent, technique and mentality do.

Plenty of people in baseball are saying he’s a worthwhile investment as well, I don’t think I need to link sources to point that out. The fact is we won’t know until somebody tries him out.

You just answered your own question.

Read the articles, hoss. This kid is years from throwing successfully in the majors.

we have read articles on him. by all accountsi dont think he is to far off of where strasburg is. maybe another year longer.

could i be wrong?? of course you never know untill they are in the majors pitching but i dont see to much to say he wont be able to succeed. even as a starter.

Quoting one of your own articles:

Bottom Line – Chapman is going to be a risk for whatever team signs him. His upside is tremendous, but he’s raw in every sense of the word. Does he have the mental capacity to turn himself into a pitcher and not be just a thrower? Does a team’s development staff have a good track record in developing a talent like Chapman? Does Chapman have what it takes to put it all together and develop into a legitimate number one starter? We’ll eventually get our answers, but some team will have to shell out millions of dollars before getting them.

Best Case Outcome – No. 1 starter

More Likely Outcome – Power arm closer out of the bullpen

This says nothing about him being a guaranteed bust nor a guaranteed success. It is, however, fairly in line with what those of us in favor of signing him have been saying. I personally think $21 mil over several years is worth it, even for a power arm closer or a #2,3,4 starter.

Furthermore and to answer that articles’ question, I have full confidence in our coaching and development staff and minor league system. All I need do is look at the decade that just ended and I know that if they are given a $21 million top-prospect, they will bust their asses to make him succeed.

And lastly, you said 5 years initially. If that was intended as hyperbole, then that’s cool. Two years away, as some have speculated, falls under your criteria and would still be worth the investment in my eyes.

coaching and development?

the same coaching and development that makes sure Ervin Santana is terrible in odd-numbered years?

I will take the scouting department’s word for it all. If we sign him for a lot, Eddie Bane just went “ALL-IN” in the poker game.

Also the same one that gave us Weaver, Saunders, Lackey, K-Rod

Shields, and a number of position players.

Don’t forget those.

Except we didn't throw 21 million at them based on potential.

nor did we with santana, just cause they get more money doesn't mean they will be worse. or better.

but i dont think just cause it is a little more that you dont go get him and take that risk.

umm yea they also gave us weaver, saunders, lackey and others so realize it aint only santana. also he is good also

agree, as you said if he ends up a # 2,3,4 starter and is pitching well getting us 16-17 wins a season on average or something

i think it is worth it just because he doesn’t get to a superstar #1 will not make him a bust in any way.

Mark my words

this kid will be Joel Zumaya part II, but with even LESS respect for the game.

shiftyeyedgoat - January 7, 2010 reply

ok ill hold you to it

TheAngelsColts - January 7, 2010 reply

For whatever Ken Rosenthal's word is worth.

Check it.

SenorChuckles - January 6, 2010 reply

FOX-Buzz-MLB

Updated Jan 6, 2010 11:56 PM ET
WEDNESDAY’S LATEST NEWS AND NOTES
Angels close to deal with Cuban lefty Chapman — 11:40 p.m.

Amid reports that Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman is close to a decision, the Angels are "trying like crazy" to sign him, according to a major-league source.

Chapman, a free agent, continues to negotiate with multiple clubs, and the "Angels are part of the process," a second source said.

The Angels could appeal to Chapman because of the success of their Cuban first baseman, Kendry Morales.

Chapman and Morales share the same agents, Alan and Randy Hendricks.

— Ken Rosenthal

44FAN - January 6, 2010 reply

huh not sure what to take from it, not sure how often Rosenthal has really been right in these types of things. but if this is true

then we will likely know by tomorrow some time

Yeah I'm pretty sure he makes shit up just to get attention.

Teixeira Who? - January 7, 2010 reply

also from fox.

Kotchman might be on his way to Seattle.

SenorChuckles - January 6, 2010 reply

Just about a done deal.

The Red Sox are getting an 18 y/o catcher and Bill Hall plus cash I believe

yep pretty much already done deal

Yes, YES! All for Anaheim, ALL FOR ANAHEIM!!!

Snicker snicker snicker

Pssh

Be unproductive and surf teh iNterwebZ like me at work. ;)

Wish I had that option, but I don't sit at a computer.

I toss boxes. And new sweet iPhone to keep me up to date.

new = no.

That actually sounds kinda fun to do for a while

You must have some inventory computer you could hijack.

I COULD hijack it,

but the pink slip would piss my wife off to no end.

hahaha. well not giving you a hard time i was just letting you know. it is also at the top in the post.