Cuban right-hander Enmanuel Chapman (25) signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates last week and his signing was virtually under the radar. The agreement is for $200,000 pending a physical as per the colleague Francys Romero’s report.
Chapman has a solid fastball that sits comfortably between 93-98 MPH. He left Cuba in April 2023 and has no family relation to Aroldis Chapman, although they both pitched for the same province of Holguín while in Cuba. The hurler becomes the 33rd Cuban-born player to sign in the current international period that ended December 15th.
Source: Cuban RHP Enmanuel Chapman (25) signed today with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The agreement is pending physical. Bonus deal: $200,000.
Chapman has a solid fastball between 93-98 MPH. He left Cuba in April 2023. No family relationship with Aroldis Chapman.
He is the #33… pic.twitter.com/HQ3OneBCCb
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 15, 2023
During his time on the island he pitched three years for the Cachorros de Holguín posting a 0-4 record and a 9.82 earned run average in 51 ⅓ innings pitched. Although he has impressive physical tools the 25-year-old Cuban is a project. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was putrid 46-to-58 and his 2.55 WHIP indicates that Chapman needs to better his control.
Chapman projects to be a backend of the bullpen pitcher and with some maturity could become a closer. If this signing works out the Pirates might just have found themselves a gem of a pitcher to close out this year’s international free agency signing period.