Aroldis Chapman's Role with the Cincinnati Reds Still Unclear

When the Cincinnati Reds inked Cuban sensation Aroldis Chapman to a six-year, $30 million deal in 2010, expectations were incredible.

Two years into that deal, however, Chapman's role with the franchise has yet to be determined, as the 24-year-old flamethrower is approaching yet another MLB season without a solidified job on the pitching staff.

While the question facing Cincinnati management seems to whether Chapman belongs in the majors or in Triple-A Louisville, Reds' followers seem to be pondering an entirely different question:

Is Chapman ever going to live up to his $30 million hype?

Sure, the guy's pure pitching ability is unquestionable, and a 105 mph fastball doesn't come around every day.

However, for a franchise that is already facing the expiring contracts of two stars in Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto, $30 million dollars is an awful lot of money to pay a Triple-A starter.

Chapman could very well edge out Homer Bailey (another highly-touted Red who has failed to live up to early expectations) for the No. 5 slot in the major league rotation. Should Bailey get the nod, things could become even cloudier. The team's offseason additions of Sean Marshall and Ryan Madson have left little room for Chapman to make an impact from the bullpen.

He could be an overpowering eighth inning reliever, sure, but would a role like that justify his monster contract?

I just don't see it.

Chapman is still young and has plenty of time left on his contract, but it's only a matter of time until fans get antsy.

Chapman's a rare talent, and one that I would hate see get wasted away at the minor league level.