Aroldis Chapman

• dave

  nice, ill have to dvr that.
  
  as far as starting in the minors to limit innings, i don't get that arguement. if you want a strict pitch count and or inning count then you can do it in the majors just as easy. owings will just have to be ready to go every day chapman starts.
• thavoice

  ^^That isnt how teams do it. You do that stuff in the minors where the games dont mean squat.
  Lets say they want him on a 75 pitch count, which early on that is very likely. A power pitcher like him, who in his past has show some wildness yet not yet this spring, could run through that quickly. Owings or whatever long reliever or whomever they chose for this would need to not pitch the day before and many times not the day after. Being that ya probably want to use one of your better relievers in that spot you would save him the day before, and if he throws much ya burn him the day after.
  
  
  I say if they wanna start him with an innings/pitch count have him start down in the minors. Injuries happen...quite possibly if he is doin well he can come up for a spot start early on if need be.
• jordo212000

  

  Despite all his success and the fact that I have been fawning all over Chapman as of late, I still think it would be in Chapman's best interest to send him to the minors for a while, let him get accustomed to the United States and the rigors of the regular season and then bring him up after 3-4 starts down there (nothing long term in the minors)
• thavoice

  It is a pipe dream to believe the reds 5 man rotation wont need someone to come up fairly early in the season. Whether it be injury or ineffectiveness so could just wait until then.
  
  My official stance is this....If htey dont have him on a low pitch count,like 75, and he is the best in camp then Id like to see him start with the Reds.
  
  If they wanna bring him along slowly then start the season in the minors and go from there.
  
  I think they chose option two because he really hasnt thrown alot of innings in one season in Cuba. If htey start him in Cincy he could get fatigued quicker. Start him in the minors and slowly work him up.
  
  I dont know...we weill see.....kid has electric stuff thats for damned sure.
• Nate

  Would love to see him at GABP but he needs time. I don't want him to blow his arm out the first season. Let him build it up. This isn't a make or break year for the Reds.
• thavoice

  Mr Baker said that his bunting and baserunning is at the low A ball level.
  But his arm is at the MLB level.
• jordo212000

  

  thavoice wrote: Mr Baker said that his bunting and baserunning is at the low A ball level.
  But his arm is at the MLB level.

  Who cares if he can't hit. Most pitchers can't hit anyways... and the bunting can be worked on too.
• BCBulldog

  

  thavoice wrote: Mr Baker said that his bunting and baserunning is at the low A ball level.
  But his arm is at the MLB level.

  I'm calling BS on Baker's assessment. Chapman came up as a SS in the Cuban system, so I really doubt that he is at low A level. Even if that is the case, who the hell cares?! Is he really going to send down a MLB level talent pitcher back to the minors to learn how to bunt and baserun? No freaking way.
  
  It's either a smokescreen to try to diminish the hype or an excuse to keep him down past May 15th to save cash down the line. Either way, it's garbage. We have tolerated losing for way too long. It's time to hold their (Castelline/Jocketty/Baker) feet to the fire. If Chapman can get big leaguers out, let him spend some time with Jacoby learning how to bunt and Hatcher learning how to run between now and when the season starts. He should be serviceable enough to be as lousy as Volquez was.
• TigerNation10

  

  Man did he look good in his first inning. 1,2,3 on 8 pitches with a strikeout.
• dave

  dude if filthy, that K was as good of an AB you will ever see from any pitcher ever.
• Ironman92

  

  Baserunning and bunting...low A level? So is Dusty's managing.
  
  What level was Randy Johnson on baserunning and bunting?
• voewoody

  

  http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2010/news/story?id=5019546
  
  Chapman left the game early today with stiffness in his back. Hopefully it is just spasms and doesn't linger too long.
• jordo212000

  

  The back spasms probably sealed his fate to the minors IMO. I haven't read anything that would suggest this. Just my $.02. The Reds are going to be extra cautious with him
• voewoody

  

  ^^
  
  My thoughts too. If he would have gone through spring training with no setbacks he was still a longshot to be the #5 this probably all but punched his ticket.
• BCBulldog

  

  This is where the Reds will (and should) proceed with caution. They really need to determine what is causing the pain and address it immediately. If it's nothing and he is only out a day or two, he could still easily make the team. If it is anything more, he will probably stay in extended spring training and be evaluated after that. The Reds definitely need him, but they need him healthy more.
• norwalk

  He was headed to the minors regardless. At least until May 15th. They definitely need to be cautious with him.
• BCBulldog

  

  norwalk wrote: He was headed to the minors regardless. At least until May 15th. They definitely need to be cautious with him.

  Care to share the source of your inside info? Everything I was reading and hearing was that he was the frontrunner for the fifth spot in the rotation before this setback.
• dave

  BCBulldog wrote:

  norwalk wrote: He was headed to the minors regardless. At least until May 15th. They definitely need to be cautious with him.

  Care to share the source of your inside info? Everything I was reading and hearing was that he was the frontrunner for the fifth spot in the rotation before this setback.

  frontrunner in terms of performance but i haven't heard 1 baseball person say they think he will make the team out of spring training. it's just not worth the huge increase in contract to get those extra 7 or so starts.
• BCBulldog

  

  dave wrote:

  BCBulldog wrote:

  norwalk wrote: He was headed to the minors regardless. At least until May 15th. They definitely need to be cautious with him.

  Care to share the source of your inside info? Everything I was reading and hearing was that he was the frontrunner for the fifth spot in the rotation before this setback.

  frontrunner in terms of performance but i haven't heard 1 baseball person say they think he will make the team out of spring training. it's just not worth the huge increase in contract to get those extra 7 or so starts.

  I'll give you one - John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer.
  
  Plus it's only $2mm in bonus money if he would have made the club before May 15. It would make him arbitration eligible a year sooner, but that is only a problem if he is good. In that case, the Reds would likely just sign him to a new contract.
  
  Either way, these considerations are three years away, so who cares? They actually have a real chance of competing right now. Holding someone off the roster just to save a few bucks three years from now is asinine and what helps contribute to a losing culture.
• thavoice

  They are goin to be very cautious with him. Its early.....its ST, and he is a huge investment.
  
  Will they wait to bring him up because of that arbitration clock? Jocketty said no about a week ago when asked. Said if he is good enough he ll be up quicker.
• Ironman92

  

  I'll be on the edge of my seat watching him in the futures all-star game hitting 98 mph and in 5 or 6 years once he's ready to run the bases and bunt he should still be able to hit 91-92 mph. If not he could probably play SS and bat 2nd.
• BCBulldog

  

  Baker still has him in the running for the 5th spot, but it sounds like he could be eliminated if it doesn't clear up soon. He did have a conversation with Chapman telling him to not be afraid to tell him when he is hurting. Apparently Cuban players typically are afraid to say they are hurt because of the culture that was created by Cuban coaches where if you couldn't pitch, you didn't eat.
• se-alum

  

  One thing to look at is the fact that the #5 will likely only get 3 starts between Opening Day and the 15th of May. For that reason, I think you start him in the minors just so he can be working, I could care less about the $$$$$.
• BCBulldog

  

  se-alum wrote: One thing to look at is the fact that the #5 will likely only get 3 starts between Opening Day and the 15th of May. For that reason, I think you start him in the minors just so he can be working, I could care less about the $$$$$.

  That's the best non-injury argument yet. The only reason I could see it playing out differently is that the Reds may prefer him to work with Bryan Price the entire time. Although, working with Ted Power for a month or so isn't a bad thing either.