The Reds finally put the Aroldis Chapman question to bed Friday, announcing that he would return to the closer's role he was so effective in last season. Chapman has been lobbying to return to the bullpen, rather than be a member of the rotation as the team had planned. The 22-year-old did not close the door on possibly returning to the rotation in future years, despite the move.
“I think I’m still young and there are still a lot of years ahead in my career where I can be a starter again,” Chapman told MLB.com Friday. “I’m happy to be a closer now. I’m here in Cincinnati. Cincinnati is the team that I want and I will do what they want. If they want me to be a closer, I’m happy to be a closer.”
Chapman appeared in Friday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers in relief, tossing a scoreless sixth inning, with one strikeout and a hit allowed. His velocity was reportedly in the upper 90's where he usually sat as a reliever, after some concerns during his starting opportunities.
Chapman was borderline unhittable as a closer last season, posting a 1.51 ERA and 38 saves in 71 2/3 innings, with 122 strikeouts.