There are some that think the New York Yankees should make Aroldis Chapman into a starter. Those thoughts are so 2013.
The New York Yankees have a problem. There are several holes in their starting rotation and most of what is available in free agency are somewhat uninspiring. New York could always turn to the trade front, but aside from Blake Snell and The Return of Sonny Gray, there is not much worthwhile there either. What is a team with World Series aspirations to do?
Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay has an interesting idea. His thought is to simply convert closer Aroldis Chapman into a starting pitcher.
Michael Kay suggested on High Heat that the Yankees should consider converting Aroldis Chapman back to a starting pitcher pic.twitter.com/rlMSvdyxKi
— Dan Rourke (@DanAlanRourke) November 23, 2020
Chapman had been a starter in Cuba, and even spent his first professional season starting for the Louisville Bats before being summoned to the Reds. He slotted into the bullpen in the majors, where his high octane fastball could play up even more.
There had been talk of putting him back in the rotation previously. In 2012, the Reds had planned to make him a starter once again, but numerous injuries to the bullpen scuttled those plans. That plan resurfaced prior to the 2013 season, with ESPN Fantasy Baseball even listing Chapman as a SP prior to the start of the year, but that never happened.
Kay has his reasons for such a move. Chapman’s fastball is not what it once was; the days of 105 MPH heat seemingly long gone. Zack Britton was far better as the Yankees closer than he was when sent back to the eighth inning following Chapman’s return from the Injured List.
But realistically, this does not make sense as an option. If Chapman was going to return to a starting role, it would have happened years ago. He is established as a reliever at this point, one of the better closers in the game and just a year removed from being named the AL Reliever of the Year. Despite his decreased velocity and injury issues last year, Chapman has still been one of the best closers in the game.
The ninth inning for the New York Yankees belongs to Aroldis Chapman. Any thoughts that he should be a part of the starting rotation are so 2013.