He won't go lower than AAA.
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He won't go lower than AAA.
sending him to AAA is no brainer at this point.
i also would like to see him as a starter in AAA. he needs to work on things & he will get more chances to do so as a starter. In addition I would like to build up his arm so that he can pitch the innings required as a major league starter in the future.
i don't care when we see Chapman or Leake back in Cincinnati. they need to be ready to pitch in the bigs when they are recalled. it may not be this year & thats ok with me. recall them when they are ready & don't rush them back.
Make him a starter and he'll make Edinson Volquez look like Bronson Arroyo.
I'm not sure what's the best use of him, but he's completely messed up. For a very long time hitter's will be taking a strike up there. He's a marked man now.
The Reds managed to win the division last year with little help from him, so I'm not worried about this team without him going forward. He would have been a great weapon, but now I'm just hoping he can work out of the mess he's in.
I'm sure ownership might be a little freaked about the investment at this point.
It's irrelevant right now whether he starts or mops up. If he can't find home plate he can't perform in any role. He needs to get this worked out. He's really, really screwed up. My little girl's softball pitchers find home plate more often than he does these days. He's lost 10 MPH off his FB and he's all over the place. he's either hurt or his mechanics are completely shot. I think many are underestimating just how screwed up he is.
I think we need to plan on playing 2011 without him. I'd start by putting him on the DL and run a full battery of tests on him. If he passes everything then go back to square one with his mechanics. Personally I think we're going to find a physical issue with him that's causing all of this. (remember you heard it here first, unless of course it turns out to be mechanical ...;) )
I like the DL idea, and you're right, the Reds should just continue as if they never expected Chapman to be a factor in 2011. He did arrive to the bigs rather quickly given his situation, I am sure when they signed him they didn't assume that he would be ready by 2011. Hoping maybe, but not assuming.
Something has to be done. Move him to AAA. Someone please make up their mind if he is gonna be a starter or a closer for the next 5 years.
Having said that, at times pitchers run into tough stretchs like this, due to mental or physical issues. We are talking what, 4 bad outings or so? Long term, I am still bullish on Aroldis.
Don't forget he's just a kid. A kid who just had an incredible cultural change, coming to a country in which he couldn't even speak the language.
He's a baby, regardless of his physical prowess.
He'll be fine. His stuff is too good not to be. I don't think it's a coincidence that this started to happen when they stopped using him as much. And I'm not blaming the Reds for it either, because that drop off in velocity was scary.
If you can't bring him in with a 7 run lead though, he can't be up here. I love him and have all the faith in the world, but he needs to go get it worked out in AAA.
That's what I mean when I say folks are underestimating just how screwed up he is. No, pitchers dont go through stretches like this. In his last 4 outings he's gotten 4 outs, walked 12 and one HBP. Have you ever seen a Reds pitcher walk 12 in a litte over one inning? It's awfully rare. Most major league pitchers never go through anything like this.
The last time I saw something like this was about 10-15 yrs ago with Mark Wohlers. Haven't seen it since
I've never seen anything like Chapman in my life. Time will tell, but it is too early for me, maybe not you, to compare him to Mark Wohlers, Steve Sax, or the like. I really think we are dealing with a culturally "immature" (perhaps too strong of a word) kid, who either doesn't grasp the seriousness of an injury or just is completely overwhelmed right now.
I don't think I've ever seen anything like it at the major league level, but I have a feeling it happens every now and then in the minors and we never hear about it. All the more reason to get him off of the major league roster.
I wonder if they have told him to dial it down a notch or two and he can't.
Maybe he's at his best when he's throwing as hard as he can.
If that's the case, it will take a few years to develop him into a serviceable starter, IF it's even possible.
Mark Price is accurate as anyone out there. A couple sessions with him and AC will be fine.
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