Give Aroldis Chapman a Look
Written by Matt Ryan   
Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:18

Now that Lackey is off the market, it's time for Omar to turn to plan B.  Forget the Jason Marquis and the Joel Pineiros for now, the guy the Mets should be looking at is Aroldis Chapman.  Although I don't foresee him making an immediate jump to the big leagues, this kid is a special talent, and I think it would be a mistake to pass on him.  He's essentially the left handed version of Stephen Strasburg.

Chapman threw a bullpen session for MLB scouts yesterday, including representatives from the Mets.  The 6' 4'' 22 year old lefty hit 96 on the radar gun, and most people came away impressed.  Said Astros GM Ed Wade, "The kid's got a great arm.  He's a physical specimen. He's left-handed. He throws hard. Obviously, anybody would be interested in an arm like this. He's got some great stuff. The early feedback from our guys, and everybody else, is he's a tremendous talent."  Chapman has been on everyone's radar since he hit 102 mph during the World Baseball Classic, although he seemed to struggled with his command.

The problem with Chapman is the amount of money he is going to command.  I'm assuming that he will use Strasburg's 4 year, $15.1 Million contract as a starting point.  And don't forget he recently fired his agent, so its clear the Chapman is looking for a serious payday.  But at this point, I think he is a necessary gamble.  Why pay Jason Marquis $10 Million per year to be a mediocre starter, when you can give Chapman $3.5 Million with the potential for greatness.  There should be a major bidding war for Chapman in the coming days, and I would hope that the Mets at least submit a competitive offer.  Especially if they lose out on Bay and Holliday.



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