Reds won't move Chapman to rotation anytime soon
Aroldis Chapman will be a starter eventually.
"Someday, yeah," Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker said of the 24-year-old left-hander. "But right now, we need him in the 'pen. We lost (Ryan) Madson. We lost (Bill) Bray. If he wasn't in the position he's in, we wouldn't be in the position we're in. This guy hasn't given up a run. He's gotten people out of trouble. He's won games."
Chapman pitched another perfect eighth inning Wednesday night in the Reds' 6-3 victory over the New York Mets. He hasn't allowed a run in 19 1/3 inning. He's stranded all seven inherited runners, and he's struck out 34 and walked just five.
"Imagine where we'd be without him in this role right now," Baker said. "Plus, he can't be everything. There's people who want him to start. There's people who want him to close. There's people who like him where he is. I've got to do what I think is best for him and us right.
"I thank God we got him where we've got him,. A lot of times that eighth (inning) is tougher than closing. He might end up closing, but you've got to graduate to that. He just barely graduated to being a reliever last year. Now, he's graduated to being the setup. Who knows what he might graduate to? You've got to take it one step at a time."
Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said as long as relievers Bray and Nick Masset are out, Chapman is likely to remain in the bullpen.
"Right now, he is so valuable to bullpen that I don't see us making a switch," Jocketty said. "When those other guys come back, perhaps."
