Report: Top pitching prospect defects from Cuba during tournament in Netherlands
By APFriday, July 3, 2009
Report: Top prospect defects from Cuba
A top Cuban pitching prospect with a 100 mph fastball has defected from the national team while playing in a tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
ESPN The Magazine reports that several unidentified sources confirmed that Aroldis Chapman walked out of his hotel room and did not return.
Champman’s defection was first reported on the Spanish-language Web site cubaencuentro.com. He told the site that he was in Europe, but refused to reveal his location.
A source told ESPN that Chapman was scheduled to fly to Miami on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Chapman is considered by many scouts to be the No. 1 left-handed prospect in the world. He would be the most prominent Cuban baseball defector since Jose Contreras left during a tournament in Mexico in 2002.
