Aroldis Chapman To Throw Missiles In Starting Rotation

Aroldis Chapman put the fire in Fireman for the Reds last season.

The rangy lefthander who has registered as much as 105 mph with his fastball, will be moved from the back end of the Reds' bullpen to the starting rotation, maybe. In an organizational decision, Chapman, who saved 38 games for the NL Central Division champions, is being groomed as a starting pitcher for the second straight year.

The plan for 2012 was to put Chapman in the starting rotation but injuries to the bullpen created a void which Chapman filled brilliantly, to the point that he recieved votes for the Cy Young Award.

The starting rotation was a key to the Reds' success last season, yet the club is getting Chapman ready this spring as a starter.

 "Maybe," Dusty Baker said. "That's a maybe. It's the same situation as last year. We started with Chapman as a starter. Then Ryan Madson went down. "We had no idea that Chapman would be as good as a closer. I don't think anybody did."

 Chapman didn't allow a run until his 16th appearance of the season. He didn't become the closer until May 20, yet tied for third in the National League in saves. From June 26 through August 17, Chapman turned in 23 consecutive scoreless appearances. He converted a team-record 27 consecutive save chances. Yet the team decided to give him a shot at the starting rotation.

 "We didn't know if he was going to throw enough strikes," Baker said. Chapman struck out 18 batters in 10 innings before he issued a walk out of the bullpen. "We put him in the set-up role,going two innings, because he was groomed in spring training to be a starter and that helped him to get his control. So, right now we're in the same boat, trying to get him multiple innings in case he doesn't start he can still be sharp."

 The organization told Chapman at the end of last season that they were planning to make him a starter. 

"Chapman has the chance to be a top-flight starter," Reds' general manager Walt Jocketty said. "I always wanted to have a lefthander in the rotation." Chapman relied on his fastball and slider out of the bullpen but he has a change up too. "He didn't throw the change up too much but it is better than his slider," Jocketty said. "He is a great athlete. You ought to see him hit. He is one of the fastest runners on the team."

 Jocketty has no concerns about Chapman's ability to hold base runners. "He did it in Louisville and in Cuba," Jocketty said.

 There are risk with the conversion.

 "It's kind of tough the way we had a shut down bullpen last year," Baker said. "We had the guys lined up."

There are also a discussions about how many innings Chapman can pitch. His first season in the organization, Chapman threw 109 innings. He made 13 starts for Louisville, then appeared in 41 games as a reliever. The 25-year old threw 63 innings in 2011, all in relief and 71.2 innings last season. Starters are expected to pitch more innings.

"It's a risk when you throw that hard anyway, you know?" Baker said.

 Chapman is willing to do anything the team asks him to do whether it is to start of relieve. "I will prepare the same way I did last year," Chapman said, through interpreter Tomas Vera. "I would like to start a season and throw as many innings as I can but that's up to the team. When I was in Cuba, I threw 150 innings. I will prepare myself to throw as many innings as they want me to throw."

 Chapman has been working on his change up but also his fastball and split finger as well as his skills with the bat. "I am not a hitter," Chapman said. "I am working on bunting. That is very important."

 Chapman came to the Reds from Cuba as a starter and was comfortable with starting but after having the success he had in the bullpen looks at it a little differently.

 "I have never started in the big leagues. I've had success as a reliever. If I had to choose, I would chose to do what I've had success with," Chapman said. "But I am a soldier, I will do whatever they want me to do."