An opposing NL scout tells FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the Reds "are crazy" if they use Aroldis Chapman as a starter. "It’s Joba Chamberlain all over again. His velocity dropped off in the second inning. He couldn’t get his off-speed stuff over the plate consistently. No question in my mind, he’s the closer," the scout said. Meanwhile, Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News talked to several other scouts about Chapman and they were "nearly unanimous" that he is a better fit as a closer. Keep following @CloserNews on Twitter for all the latest updates on the Reds and other ninth-inning situations from around baseball.

 

 

 

Cincinnati Reds Rumors: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Chapman: "I would like to be a closer, but that's not in my hands." #reds #cincienquirer

That should be enough to seal the deal if I was the GM/Manager/Castellini/Shotzy/Tony Perez/That lady Pete Rose married.

Who wouldn't be ok with Arroyo going game 4 of a series? Anyone see how good he has been in his two post season starts as a Red?

In Game 5 of the NLDS the Giants scored 6 on Latos in the 5th inning. Bullpen held them scoreless the last 4 innings. I'd be willing to net Latos never does that again in the playoffs, and the bullpen kept them in that game even though they lost

 

In that inning it shouldn't be forgotten that Latos was squeezed by the Home plate umpire something awful. He lost his focus against Posey and that was it. I think he #1 wont' get squeezed like that very often #2 will grow from the experience and not let that happen again.

Reds GM Walt Jocketty expects a decision in the next few days on whether Aroldis Chapman will pitch out of the bullpen or be moved into the starting rotatation, reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Chapman stated publicly he wants to close, which didn't sit well with Jocketty. "We don’t let every player tell us how they want to be used," the GM told MLB.com.

 

 

 

NL Notes: Chapman, Stewart, Rockies, Braves: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

at this point, Chapman is best suited pitching t shirts to the fans from atop the dugout.

Never good when the staff wants one thing, and the front office want another. I say leave him in the pen where is comfortable and will thrive. I will echo Average Joe, and say that this is an unnecessary risk. Teams know they have to get to the Reds in 7 innings or else is it makes it a whole hell of a lot more difficult.

Well, we have three threads talking about Chapman. I posted this in another thread and will include it here:

 

 

I think many of you are missing the point. Closers are part of baseball by the book 101 now. You aren't going to change that, especially with the money closers get today. The point is this ... it doesn't matter who your closer is. In my mind, if Chapman closes or Broxton or Hoover it doesn't matter. If none of them work out, there is another reliever that can be plugged in who will do the job. Heck, Sam LeClure would probably be a very good closer. The closer stats and blown saves stats will be about the same at the end of the year regardless of who closes, within reason of course. Chapman as a closer is not a difference maker over a season and he is even less of a difference maker in a short series, as was evidenced by the Reds vs. Giants.