Cincinnati Reds: Can We Get Aroldis Chapman in the Starting Rotation?

I, like many other Cincinnati Reds fans, have been waiting (sometimes impatiently) for Aroldis Chapman to crack the starting rotation. A guy with stuff as good as his is wasted, to an extent, by pitching in the bullpen.

Although in previous articles I've made my case for other starters and argued with many of you about why the timing needs to be perfect for Chapman. I'm about to throw all of that out the window after tonight.

However, don't misunderstand that statement. I'm not saying this because I'm upset with Johnny Cueto. I'm saying it because, tonight, in a tied ball game, the Reds went to Sam LeCure and Bill Bray instead of Chapman.

LeCure got himself in trouble and recorded one out before turning the ball over to Bray with runners on first and second. Bray proceeded to walk the first batter he faced and then allowed the game-winning sacrifice fly in the 10th inning.

This is the same Chapman who pitched against the Cardinals on April 11th and went two innings; striking out Matt Carpenter, Yadier Molina and Daniel Descalso in the eighth inning, came back out for the ninth, allowed a hit before striking out David Freese and Rafael Furcal consecutively to end the game.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the decision.

After the game tonight, Dusty Baker said that he didn't want to put Chapman on the mound again because he pitched two innings on Sunday.

If, in fact, this is the reason, then Chapman needs to be in the starting rotation as soon as possible. If he isn't built to pitch in back-to-back games, or two out three days in this case, then he shouldn't be in the bullpen.

I, like the rest of you, am now being forced into the camp that's been clamoring and complaining about Chapman being in the bullpen.

In eight innings of work this season, Chapman has faced 27 batters, allowed three hits, zero walks, zero earned runs and struck out 15. He's struck out 55.5 percent of batters faced and his K/9 ratio is a monstrous 16.9. His K/BB, can't even be measured because he's yet to allow a walk.

Chapman has also picked up two victories this year (one of those coming on April 11th). Those two victories are more than any member of the Reds' starting staff.

If Chapman isn't closing (which I don't think he's physically cut out for) then he is certainly being wasted in the bullpen.

After suffering a heart-breaking, extra-innings loss to the Cardinals tonight, the Reds fell to 4-7 on the young season. I'm not panicking, however, I think I speak for most, if not all, Reds fans when I say that we want to see Chapman in the rotation.

In the unlikely event that someone in the organization is reading this, sooner would be better than later.