MLB Player News

On Monday, I wrote in this space that a move to the Reds' bullpen would be nothing but good news for Aroldis Chapman's Fantasy owners. That move may be imminent, according to a report from the Cincinnati Enquirer, though the team told MLB.com that no decision has been made regarding Chapman's role. Once we can safely assume that he will be the closer, it will be time to start pursuing Chapman earlier in drafts.

He will be roughly on par with Craig Kimbrel in terms of closer value, and Kimbrel is being drafted in the fourth round on average in 12-team mixed leagues.

I would rather have Kimbrel, and Round 4 is just a little early for my tastes, but Round 5 is not too early to pursue either closer.

The Reds are expected to announce Thursday that pitcher Aroldis Chapman will begin the season as the team’s closer, according to Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Chapman, 25, has been preparing as a starter this spring but said his preference was to remain in the bullpen last week. Last season, Chapman had a 1.51 ERA and 1.55 FIP in 71 2/3 relief innings. He had 38 saves. 

Mets manager Terry Collins said during a radio interview Wednesday on WFAN that the team intends to carry two left-handed relievers. ESPN predicted one of the spots will go to Josh Edgin, while Pedro Feliciano, Robert Carson and Scott Rice vie for the other left-handed role in the bullpen.

ESPN also reported this news likely means there will only be room for either Greg Burke or Jeurys Familia in the team's rotation.

Joe Kelly and Shelby Miller took the mound for the Cardinals in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins. Kelly was hit hard after entering in the fifth after Miller threw four scoreless innings. He cruised through his first two innings before running into trouble in the seventh when he allowed four runs on six hits. Kelly, who is competing with Miller for the final rotation spot, allowed four runs on eight hits in three innings of a 5-4 victory. His ERA is 4.91 this spring.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller continued to make a strong case for a rotation spot Tuesday against the Marlins. Miller, who made his second start of the spring, threw a one-hitter over four innings. He retired the last 11 batters he faced before Joe Kelly replaced him in the fifth. Miller also struck out three and walked one to lower his ERA to 4.63 this spring.

Kelly was hit hard, allowing four runs on eight hits in three innings. Kelly, who started 16 games last season, has a 4.91 ERA through four outings.

Pitchers Shelby Miller and Joe Kelly are still fighting it out for the fifth spot in the Cardinals' rotation. Both pitchers are slated to pitch on Tuesday, with Miller getting the start. Kelly will likely pitch in relief, though it’s not clear how the innings will be split among the two.

Based on how Miller and Kelly perform on Tuesday, the team could make a decision about the fifth starter shortly after the game. The 21-year-old Miller has made the Baseball America top-100 prospect list in each of the past four seasons. Kelly, 25, doesn’t have the pedigree, but does have the experience. He started 16 games for the Cardinals last season, with a 3.53 ERA and a 4.00 FIP in 107 innings. 

I think we all see where this Aroldis Chapman stuff is going.

Between Dusty Baker's recent implication that it's his decision to make (as opposed to the front office's) and Chapman's own stated preference for closing, all that talk of the flamethrowing lefty moving to the Reds' starting rotation is on the verge of being nothing more than hot air. That's my guess, anyway.

As my colleague Al Melchior already pointed out, that wouldn't be such a bad thing for Chapman's Fantasy value, but it would be a disaster for Jonathan Broxton's. Few setup men are worth owning in Fantasy, and Broxton's ratios suggest he wouldn't be one of those few.

Of course, those ratios had me labeling Broxton a bust candidate even before this Chapman talk started. He's clearly just a $1 player now.

This weekend, Aroldis Chapman disclosed that he would prefer to close rather than start for the Reds. Manager Dusty Baker told ESPN.com, "We are going to do what's best for the team and for him. But it makes it a lot easier when you get the person's blessing." It certainly sounds like the door is more than just cracked open for Chapman to return to the bullpen.

If Chapman comes anywhere near last season's numbers, he should have far more value as a closer than as a starter, especially if he is limited to 160 innings or so. It's not a bad thing to own Chapman in any Fantasy scenario, but if the Reds pull the trigger on returning him to the closer's role, it's time to move him up in your rankings, at least to the earlier portion of the middle rounds.

The Phillies announced Sunday they reassigned pitcher Cesar Jimenez and infielder Josh Fields to minor-league camp.

The Phillies announced Sunday they optioned relievers Justin DeFratus and Jake Diekman to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The Phillies now have four relievers --  Phillippe Aumont, Michael Stutes, Raul Valdes, Jeremy Horst -- competing for the final three spots in the bullpen.