Cuban flamethrower to remain in bullpen?
The next season is not here yet, but it seems the Cincinnati Reds have struck on another problem at their helm. The ball club had done a lot, last season, to convince Major League Baseball of its merits and potential by making
it into the post season. Though the chase to the National League Championship and the World Series ended dramatically, the team did its part to make it to the top four in the league by beating most teams to lead the Central Division. Now that the chase for
the World Series title is over, team restructuring is an issue now.
The market is bursting with activity and everyone is out to buy the best lot of players in Major League Baseball who have made their way to the free agents’ list. For the Reds, however, the problem points at something else. Last
year, 22-year-old Aroldis Chapman was procured with the purpose of becoming the Reds top pitcher in the rotation. The intention may be prevalent, but the young Cuban flamethrower has offset many hitters in the game when he has appeared at the mound in the
capacity of a relief pitcher.
Last season saw the young ball thrower make his appearance on the mound 15 times after his arrival to the top side on the 31st of August. Aroldis delivered 2 wins and 2 losses in 13.1 innings of play. In addition, he
managed to put the competition at bay by striking out 19 players and registering an Earning Runs Average of 2.03. However, he is known for his pace, as his 105.01 mph pitch became the fastest recorded delivery in baseball, when he featured in San Diego on
September 24th.
His spot in the bullpen is a mystery and manager Dusty Baker indicated a position for the fiery youngster. He said, “That's one thing we're wrestling with. I see him personally probably being somewhere in the back end of the bullpen,
because it's hard to find a guy that can get righties and lefties out equally. And that gas he has… and you haven't even seen his breaking ball and his changeup yet. So his potential is unbelievable.”
General Manager Walt Jocketty added some comments on Chapman by saying, “We've discussed both possibilities. There's a possibility he could be in the same role. It's not decided for sure. We'll see what the makeup of the staff
is, the kind of depth we have and what's best for him.”
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