[b] [url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2011/10/06/chapman-to-begin-transition-to-starter/"]Chapman to begin transition to starter[/url][/b]

[b] 4:59 pm, Oct 6, 2011 by [email="johnfayman@aol.com"]jfay[/email] | [url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2011/10/06/chapman-to-begin-transition-to-starter/#comments"]0 Comments[/url][/b]

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Aroldis Chapman is about to begin the transition back to being a starter. Chapman will go to the Instructional League in Goodyear in a week or so. After building his pitch count, he’ll go to Puerto Rico to pitch in Winter Ball.[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/files/2011/10/Chapman.jpg"][img]http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/files/2011/10/Chapman-261x300.jpg[/img][/url][/size]
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“We’re finalizing plans right now,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. “He’ll gradually build up his innings. He’ll pitch two or three innings to start. Eventually, we’ll get him up to five innings.”[/size]
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Chapman will spend about a month in Winter Ball.[/size]
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“That will give him time to rest before spring training,” Jocketty said.[/size]
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Chapman, the 23-year-old left-hander, threw 50 innings over 54 games in relief this year. He was 4-1 with a 3.60 ERA. He held opponents to a .147 batting average and only allowed two home runs. When he got in trouble, it was because of walks. He walked 41 and struck out 71.[/size]
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Other than a horrendous stretch in May — eight earned runs over three appearances in which he retired only one batter — he was very good. His ERA in his other 47 outings was 2.17.[/size]
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Chapman was used almost exclusively as a starter in his native Cuba. The Reds used him as a starter for the first half of 2010 at Triple-A Louisville. He was shifted to the bullpen to fill a need. He put up a 2.03 ERA over 15 outings for the Reds down the stretch last year.[/size]
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[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/"]http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/[/url][/size]

Chapman's ERA is very deceptive. He did have that bad stretch in May and it can take you an entire season to get it back down when you only pitch in 50 innings in one season. No way he is going to be able to throw 100+ for six straight innings though.