Scouting Report on Kevin Chapman

The Houston Astros traded catcher Humberto Quintero and utilityman Jason Bourgeois to the Kansas City Royals today in exchange for pitching prospect Kevin Chapman. For your elucidation, here is a report on Chapman.

Kevin Chapman, LHP: Chapman is a 6-3, 220 pound left-handed hitter and thrower, born February 19, 1988. The Royals drafted him in the fourth round in 2010 from the University of Florida, where he'd posted 11 saves, a 1.65 ERA, and a 44/7 K/BB in 43 innings. He spent 2011 with High-A Wilmington (4.84 ERA, 40/7 K/BB in 22 innings, 24 hits) and Double-A Northwest Arkansas (4.99 ERA, 50/21 K/BB in 40 innings, 37 hits). Despite his ugly ERA (5.06 in his career overall), he's got considerable potential with a 90-94 MPH fastball and a slider that varies between average and plus. His K/IP ratios are excellent (110 whiffs in just 80 career innings) and he gets plenty of ground balls (1.60 GO/AO in his career), but he needs sharper command to thrive at higher levels.

I actually like this trade for the Astros. Quintero and Bourgeois are replacement-level, fungible players, but Chapman could be a very good power reliever if he can harness his stuff. He threw strikes in college in '10, so there is some precedent of effectiveness here.