It's time to send Chapman to AAA

[Caveat Emperor]

Starter.
Reliever.

Either way, he's an arm you can't go to in the bullpen right now and the inability of Dusty to use him will just tax the working arms in the pen that much more.

The Reds don't have another off-day for ages. You can't pitch shorthanded out of the bullpen for that time period. Let Chapman work himself out in the minors and bring an arm that CAN retire major league hitters up right now.

[Tom Servo]

Agreed. Like Leake, it's just a move that needs to be made for the best interest of the player and the team.

[reds1869]

I completely agree. Let the kid work things out in Louisville and prepare for a stellar major league career as starter.

[Ron Madden]

Agreed. It's time to continue Chapman's development as a starting pitcher.

[reds44]

It's hard to argue with this right now. I'd call up Willis and see if he can be an effect lefty out of the pen.

Between his strange drop in velocity in a game earlier this year and now this, I'd make him a starter and be done with it.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Willis is showing himself to be an effective STARTER again, why would we want to move him back to the pen? If we bring him up, it'll be to start IMO.

That being said, I agree that Aroldis needs to head to Louisville and an arm needs to come up to replace him. So who should it be? Considering the 40 man, I'd think it would have to be either Carlos Fisher or Jordan Smith. Smith would seem the more likely candidate. Horst has thrown well, but he's not on the 40 man. Hererra is, but he's not been throwing well at all IMO.

[traderumor]

And honestly, if Arredondo works his way back into the back end of ballgames, Chapman isn't needed for the pen to hold ballgames. What you can never have enough of is starting pitching. Send him down, stretch him out, get the issues worked out, and bring him back for a second half addition to the rotation.

[reds44]

Originally Posted by _Sir_Charles_

Willis is showing himself to be an effective STARTER again, why would we want to move him back to the pen? If we bring him up, it'll be to start IMO.

That being said, I agree that Aroldis needs to head to Louisville and an arm needs to come up to replace him. So who should it be? Considering the 40 man, I'd think it would have to be either Carlos Fisher or Jordan Smith. Smith would seem the more likely candidate. Horst has thrown well, but he's not on the 40 man. Hererra is, but he's not been throwing well at all IMO.

You're going to majorly handicap Dusty with only one lefty in your bullpen.

[traderumor]

Originally Posted by reds44

You're going to majorly handicap Dusty with only one lefty in your bullpen.

I prefer guys who get batters out. What hand they throw with is moot.

Plus, Massett and Ondrusek both are effective against lefties. Thankfully, Bray has been filling the LOOGY role effectively.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Originally Posted by reds44

You're going to majorly handicap Dusty with only one lefty in your bullpen.

Well, if you insist upon a lefty...you've got DRH. I think Valiquette is injured. That leaves AA.

I don't think having only one lefty in the pen is going to hurt us that much though. We've got guys in the pen who are effective against both RHH and LHH's. Sometimes that stuff is overblown.

Besides, if Dusty were really concerned about righty/lefty match-ups, does anybody really think Gomes would've been playing in some of the games he's been playing in?

[reds44]

Originally Posted by traderumor

I prefer guys who get batters out. What hand they throw with is moot.

Plus, Massett and Ondrusek both are effective against lefties. Thankfully, Bray has been filling the LOOGY role effectively.

I understand that, but Willis' numbers in AAA are as good as any. It's not like we have Chapman circa last year sitting in the minors. The options are probable Smith, Fisher, and Willis.

Originally Posted by _Sir_Charles_

Well, if you insist upon a lefty...you've got DRH. I think Valiquette is injured. That leaves AA.

I don't think having only one lefty in the pen is going to hurt us that much though. We've got guys in the pen who are effective against both RHH and LHH's. Sometimes that stuff is overblown.

Besides, if Dusty were really concerned about righty/lefty match-ups, does anybody really think Gomes would've been playing in some of the games he's been playing in?

Dusty is a players manager. The Gomes thing has left to do with matchups and more to do with respect.

I just don't see Smith or especially Fisher giving the Reds much substance right now. I think Willis has a better shot of it. Plus, if they send Chapman down the be a starter, one of their starters has to move up or down.

[RFS62]

Send him down. He has to get his command back, and it's looking like it's not going to happen here.

Three weeks riding buses and working on his form, he'll be back.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Originally Posted by reds44

I understand that, but Willis' numbers in AAA are as good as any. It's not like we have Chapman circa last year sitting in the minors. The options are probable Smith, Fisher, and Willis.

While this is true, I think we've also seen first hand with Leake in the past week or so that starting and relieving are not automatically interchangeable things. If you've got a guy in a groove throwing well...why screw with it? It's taken Dontrell several years to begin throwing the ball effectively again, now we're going to yo-yo him from Louisville to Cincy and from the rotation to the pen? I'd hope that Walt's smarter than that.

[reds44]

Originally Posted by _Sir_Charles_

While this is true, I think we've also seen first hand with Leake in the past week or so that starting and relieving are not automatically interchangeable things. If you've got a guy in a groove throwing well...why screw with it? It's taken Dontrell several years to begin throwing the ball effectively again, now we're going to yo-yo him from Louisville to Cincy and from the rotation to the pen? I'd hope that Walt's smarter than that.

They're different pitchers. Leake is never going to be a bullpen pitcher, his stuff won't allow that. While Dontrelle doesn't have what he once han, I still think his stuff and his goofy delivery would allow him to be effective in small doses, especially against lefties.

I see where you are coming from though. Willis would still be my choice, just IMO, of course.

EDIT: Plus Willis is one of "my guys" so I have a bias for him lol.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Originally Posted by reds44

Plus, if they send Chapman down the be a starter, one of their starters has to move up or down.

Or to the pen. I've got a much smaller issue with them moving a L'ville starter to the L'ville pen like a Maloney or someone. Plus we'd be assuming that Chapman would go to Louisville. He could go lower to get more one on one attention. It's not the quality of the hitters he's facing that's the problem (much like Volquez), it's either mechanical or mental (much like Volquez) and for that, you really only need a pitcher and a catcher...the hitter is inconsequential.