Aroldis Chapman Defects from Cuba

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Aroldis Chapman, possibly the best Cuban left-handed pitching prospect in the world, has defected from the Cuban national team.

Chapman, 21, walked out of his hotel in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where Cuba was participating in a tournament, and never returned.

Chapman said he was still in Europe, but would not reveal his location for safety reasons.

“I walked out easily, right through the hotel door, and I hopped into a car and left,” Chapman said. “It was easy. Now the plan is to sign with a major league team.”

A source said Chapman was scheduled to fly to Miami on Thursday.

Chapman would be the most heralded defector since Jose Contreras, who left the national team in 2002 during a tournament in Mexico.

By several estimates, Chapman could garner a contract worth anywhere from $30 million to $60 million. Contreras, now with the Chicago White Sox, received a four-year, $32 million contract from the New York Yankees in 2003, which at the time was the biggest ever given to a Cuban defector.

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