Very soon, when Aroldis Chapman takes the mound for his first outing of the spring, an air of mystery will be removed that has trailed him since the moment he defected from the Cuban national team during a tournament in the Netherlands last July. Finally, Chapman will cease being "Chapman the prodigy" and he will simply become "Chapman the pitcher."

At first, Chapman was labeled by his original agents, Athletes Premier International, as a transcendent player, the biggest prospect to ever come out of Cuba, one who would change the way Cubans are marketed in America. Chapman's next agents, Hendricks Sports Management, simply dropped the hyperbole and marketed Chapman as a standout pitcher on the free agent market.