The Arizona Fall League...

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Baseball America[/url]"]After spending his first four years in the Cubs organization never reaching Double-A, non-drafted free agent Clay Rapada had a breakout season in 2006 and topped it off with a nice bonus in the form of a solid showing in the Arizona Fall League.

 

Rapada, a lefthanded reliever who is hard to hit because of his various confusing sidearm deliveries, went 3-2 with 21 saves and an 0.82 ERA in 44 innings with Double-A West Tenn and posted 3-2, 3.04 numbers in 24 more innings for Triple-A Iowa.

 

The Cubs felt like he was ready for some AFL action, and he delivered with 1-1, 2.63 numbers with a 17-3 strikeout-walk ratio in 15 innings for the Mesa Solar Sox.

 

"He has the stuff to take it to the next level," farm director Oneri Fleita said. "He had a great, great fall. It was good experience for him."

 

But with Scott Eyre, Will Ohman and newly acquired Neal Cotts likely lefthanded candidates for the parent squad's bullpen, Rapada may have to toil at Iowa before he gets a chance in the majors..

 

"I see him as a guy who can come in and get lefties out," Fleita said. "He can be a situational type of guy. He's not overpowering but he can touch 91 (mph) with all of those arm angles."