Mariners jump into race to sign Cuba's Aroldis Chapman

The Mariners are jumping into the race to sign Aroldis Chapman, the left-handed pitching phenom from Cuba.

The club has asked to meet with the 21-year-old Chapman and his agent, Edwin Mejia, in the coming week, according to a source.

There are no details yet on a date or location of a potential meeting by Chapman with Seattle officials, but the source described the Mariners' interest as "serious."

Chapman is being pursued by numerous teams, the Yankees and Red Sox most fervently, according to reports. Chapman had been scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday at Fenway Park in Boston, but it was canceled because of the weather.

The Tigers, Cardinals, Mets and Orioles also are linked to Chapman, who arrived in New York last Wednesday from Europe to begin the process of meeting with teams and deciding with whom to sign. Other teams, such as the Dodgers, Angels, Giants and A's, may also get involved, and it's possible Chapman could do a West Coast tour to visit the cities of his suitors.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik declined to comment, citing his policy of not discussing free agents. Mejia could not be reached for comment.

The Mariners have closely monitored the 21-year-old Chapman, whose fastball has hit 100 mph, since he defected in July in Rotterdam. He established residence in the small country of Andorra in the eastern Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France, and had been training in Barcelona and Madrid before arriving in New York.

Chapman, who was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball on Sept. 25 and is free to sign, has been described as a left-handed Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft.

If the Yankees and Red Sox get in a bidding war, it will be hard for other teams, including the Mariners, to compete. That's what happened with Jose Contreras in 2003, when the Yankees signed him to a four-year, $32 million deal.

Chapman's asking price has been rumored to be anywhere from "Strasburg money" — the San Diego State star received $15.1 million when he signed with the Nationals in June's draft — all the way up to $60 million.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com