Okay, I was all for Chapman being a starter. And the announcers tonight touched on that still being the plan. I have to change my opinion on that now. What possible reason would you want to move your bullpen ace to starter? If this guy can be your Rivera, and you have 5 starters that you're happy with, why don't you just count your blessings that you have your closer, and use the farm system to keep the starting pitcher train going over the next few years?

Reds will not be able to afford to re-sign him. Therefore, doesn't really matter. Harsh but true.

Don't know about that. They should get some kind of discount for him. He's a foreigner in a strange land, maybe he'll be comfortable enough in Cinci that we'll get a decent hometown discount? I know, wishful thinking, but who knows.

If this guy can be your Rivera, and you have 5 starters that you're happy with, why don't you just count your blessings that you have your closer,
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are you "Dumbo Dusty"?

wasn't that his line of thinking also?

I really don't know what Dusty's thinking is for the future. I'm not even sure Dusty has a future. I think it's obvious we need him in pen this year, I just don't see why we need to move him after this year.

Interesting point regarding Chapman --- makes me think more about it.
With Chapman as a starter - he would have sell-outs all over the league.
(I believe the visiting team gets a share of the receipts no?) You have to be
winning the game in order to bring in Chapman most of the time. Imagine the
percentage of starting Chapman & Cueto in a short series.

I think the concern is not having a rubber arm so to speak. Maybe that will change as he grows thou. If we have a tight one tomorrow I'm not sure we will see him. I am not ready to pull the plug on him starting just yet. I do think they will have to htink long an hard before taking him out of the pen next year thou. With the starters we have now there is just no need for him to start when he can shut team down with so few pitches per game. It will be interesting to see if they do away wiht making himn a starter if he stays this dominant.

If we have a tight one tonight, unless it goes 15-18 innings, I guarantee you we will not see him.

Good call on this whole thread, they need to rethink this. Chapman has the potential to be one of the GREAT closers ever vs. a "?" as a SP. So he can't close out every win and Dusty might actually have to manage, that's overrated anyway. How often do we win 6 in a row? Chapman is a rock star as closer. You go where the need is, and that need for at least another year (Arroyo), is closer.

I think the FO has seen enough to seriously consider trying to extend AC, before he goes parabolic. Of course, you're rolling the dice long term on a pitcher, but so is he by NOT signing an offer. Worth a shot.

And hopefully DB learned his lesson in San Diego and Chapman doesn't play tonight, NO MATTER WHAT.

The group thinkers on this board say Chapman will be dominant as a starter. The reality is that he'll dial down 95-96 on his fastball and he has spotty command with his slider. His changeup is nothing more than a show me pitch. As Arroyo said, making him a starter will "bring him back down to earth". He doesn't have the arsenal to be a successful starter in this league.

Chapman seems to be taking some heat off his slider lately. I wonder if he's trying to make that his offspeed pitch so he can ditch the change.

If that trend continues, I think it means he's staying in the pen.

He's thrown the change less than 10 times all season. His slider is good when it's on but sometimes he can't locate it.

What do you mean "Reds will not be able to afford to re-sign him"? You're thinking about 2017 already?

I'd like to see the FO try to extend him for a few more years. What a dominant closer he could be for the next few years! The last strike last night was almost comical. It looked like the hitter had determined to swing at the pitch as soon as it left his hand.

Chapman is signed through 2016.
The way the bargaining agreement is now a days and the way this organization will now do anything to be winners.... a departure from the previous ownership..... I am not worried.

Now, after the signings of last year, what makes you think that?

Right, he hasn't used the change much. It isn't that good.

My point is that he has taken some speed off his slider, which used to come in at mid 90s. Now it's down in the 80s. A reliever can get by with two pitches and that slider will be effective as an offspeed pitch out of the pen. If he becomes a starter he'll need to throw the changeup a lot more. It's not a strong pitch.

So if the Reds see him as a future starter, he'll continue to work on the change as his offspeed pitch and keep the slider as a hammer.

If they see him as a closer, he'll have to have an effective offspeed pitch, which could be the slider.

I'm specutating that the drop in velocity of his slider is an indication that he has abandoned the change, which is an indication that he is staying in the pen.

Absolutely no need to make that decision now..Reds have 4 young starters and a couple 2-3 in AA....Having AC as the closer is ENORMOUS....What it realy means is that you need to jus continually t build up your 7th/8th inning BP guys and it takes so much heat off your starters with them knowing they only need to go 6-7 most nights......Teams would die (outside of the Braves) to have an anchor like AC at 100 plus MP that imposes so much fear..

I was all for making Chapman a starter, but we really need a closer.

And with Corsino, Cingrani, Lotzgar, and Sulbaran in AA, we have starters in the wings. They should all be ready about the time Arroyo's contract is up. I won't be shocked if we see Corsino next year, or even in Sept.

Imagine having the depth that you can afford to trade one of the guys we have starting now.

I think we all know Chapman is now our closer and that is that. He will not be a starter now or anytime in the near future unless we have a major shakeup of the rotation.

I have no problem with him in the pen. Let's face it, a guy with his ability can not only close but he brings fear to the table with him and i see a whole bunch of shell-shocked hitters standing in the batters box looking like a deer in headlights when he comes in.

Can you say dominant? hitters are intimidated by Chapman.