I read somewhere that the Blue Jays had interest in going after Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman. Is this realistic? What would it signify for the organization if this was accomplished?
-- Elie F., Ottawa, Ontario
The Jays were rumored to have interest in Chapman -- considered one of the top pitching prospects in the world -- but general manager Alex Anthopoulos said earlier this week that such a move was not realistic at this time. The 21-year-old lefty could command a contract in the neighborhood of $40-60 million.
Down the road, these are the type of things that Anthopoulos hopes to have Toronto involved in, though. In this particular case, Anthopoulos said the Blue Jays simply did not have enough scouting information on Chapman to seriously delve into any kind of negotiations, especially given the pitcher's price.
Anthopoulos has spent the early part of his tenure revamping the Jays' scouting and player development departments, and he has stressed the importance of having more of a scouting presence in Latin America. Down the road, he believes Toronto will be able to expand and become more of a player internationally.
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