Everyone knew where Dusty Baker stood when it came to Aroldis Chapman.
The old-school former Cincinnati Reds manager loved having the flame-throwing lefty anchoring his bullpen as the closer, and Chapman found success in late innings.
Will new manager Bryan Price, who had been the team’s pitching coach the past four seasons, subscribe to that theory? More on that in a moment.
First, a look at the numbers. As the Reds closer the past two years, Chapman saved 76 games with a 2.00 ERA. In his 135 1/3 innings over 136 games, he allowed just 72 hits (4.8 per nine innings) and struck out 234 batters (15.6 per nine). Chapman was the closer because Baker wanted him to be the closer, not because he couldn’t have been a starter.
And that was a point of contention for many Cincinnati fans and media members across the country. If you have a weapon like Chapman, who clearly is capable of greatness, why throw him in only 135 1/3 innings over those two years? Baker was often criticized for not extending Chapman into the eighth inning to deal with high-leverage situations; after he became the closer in late May 2012, Chapman entered the game before the ninth inning just five times. The Reds, as a staff, threw 2,926 2/3 innings in those two seasons, meaning Chapman threw only 4.6 percent of the innings. That seems like a criminally low number.
In those two years, five Cincinnati starting pitchers threw significantly more innings, and reliever Alfredo Simon (148 2/3 innings) topped Chapman’s number, too. And, certainly, part of the reason Baker felt comfortable with Chapman in the closer’s role is that he had several viable options for the rotation. Still, though, Chapman is a transcendent talent.
Is that the best use of his talents, to throw only 4.6 percent of the available innings?
Because Chapman was the Reds’ closer (in strictly a ninth-inning role), he didn’t appear in the season-ending sweep by Pittsburgh, which cost Cincinnati any shot at hosting the Wild Card Game. And he didn’t pitch in the Wild Card Game, either, because the Reds fell behind Pittsburgh so early. It was difficult for Cincinnati fans — and the front office — to watch the team lose those four games without the team’s best pitcher throwing a single pitch. With that memory fresh, it’s not hard to imagine a scenario that includes Price writing Chapman in the spring training rotation.
In the past, Price has been in favor of seeing what Chapman could do as a starter, and in his inaugural press conference Tuesday afternoon, he reiterated that belief, without necessarily committing to any particular course of action: “In regards to Aroldis, I was on record last spring training as saying I think he’d get, that pitchers get better by throwing innings, especially pitchers that don’t have a lot of innings under their belts, or pitchers that struggle to throw strikes or throw their secondary pitches over the plate. So, that being said, I haven’t changed that philosophy. And that being said, also, we’re going to put the best team on the field and put the people in the best positions to be successful and we’ll make that decision as we go forward into spring training.”
Chapman is under contract for 2014 at $3 million, and has a player option for $5 million for the 2015 season. Even if he wants to stay with Cincinnati, he’ll definitely decline that option and test the market, if the Reds don’t try to lock him up sooner (which they will). If he has success as a starter, he’ll build his value, both to the team and as a free agent.
GIANTS RE-SIGN LINCECUM
Tim Lincecum is staying put with the San Francisco Giants just as he hoped, reaching agreement Tuesday on a $35 million, two-year contract through the 2015 season.
The deal is pending a physical, which had yet to be scheduled. Lincecum has a full no-trade clause in the new deal.
General manager Brian Sabean said when the season ended that among his top priorities was bringing back the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, who also indicated he cherishes familiarity and wanted stay with the only club he has known. He pitched the Game 5 clincher in the 2010 World Series at Texas, then shifted to the bullpen and became a reliable reliever during the Giants' 2012 run to their second title in three years. He pitched a no-hitter July 13 at San Diego.
Sabean wanted to lock up Lincecum's deal before he hit the open market in free agency.
The 29-year-old Lincecum just completed a $40.5 million, two-year contract that paid him $22 million this past season.
The Giants, who missed the playoffs at 76-86, already took care of their first order of business by signing right fielder Hunter Pence to a $90 million, five-year contract before the season ended. He played every game this year.
Lincecum, the 10th overall draft pick by San Francisco in 2006 out of Washington, has had losing records in each of the past three seasons but manager Bruce Bochy has expressed encouragement with the pitcher's progress to make changes to not only his delivery and mechanics but also his between-start routine and fitness.
After his final start of the season Sept. 26 against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, the four-time All-Star reflected on the idea of a possible departure. Many thought he might listen to his hometown Seattle Mariners if they came calling.
The Giants didn't let that happen, knowing someone would sign Lincecum in a hurry despite all the ups and downs.
"I've just been one of the most fortunate pitchers in this organization just to be a part of so many things," said Lincecum, who won the Cy Young in 2008 and '09. "To have the guys around me, Barry Bonds, Randy Johnson, big names, Buster Posey coming up, Pablo Sandoval. The names just don't end. To be here to witness all the things they've done, and be there for also the team things, it's been pretty special for me."
Lincecum went 10-14 with a 4.37 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 32 starts this season. The right-hander joined Hall of Famers Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry and also Kirk Rueter as the only Giants in San Francisco history to win at least 10 games in six straight seasons.
Nicknamed The Freak, Lincecum is 89-70 with a 3.46 ERA over seven major league seasons.
NATS' SHORT LIST
The most intriguing name on the list of possible managers for the Washington Nationals has long been Cal Ripken, Jr.
But Adam Kilgore, the Nationals beat writer for the Washington Post, reports that Ripken doesn’t appear to be a likely candidate for the opening. Ripken’s baseball credentials and local ties are obvious — he spent his 21-year Hall of Fame career playing for the Baltimore Orioles — but he doesn’t have any managerial experience, on any professional level.
Speculation about Ripken as a possible replacement for the retiring Davey Johnson ramped up when outfielder Jayson Werth endorsed him for the job in the final week of the regular season, and Ripken himself has talked about being open to the possibility of managing at this point in his life, without specifically addressing the opening in Washington. The Nationals, though, have not reached out to Ripken yet.
In the same piece, Kilgore also says that Dusty Baker, who was fired by the Reds earlier this month, isn’t a candidate for the job, either. Baker reached out to the Nationals with interest, but, according to Kilgore, “the Nationals have not reciprocated that interest and have not asked Baker to interview.”
On Tuesday, Kilgore reported that the Nationals were impressed with Toronto bench coach DeMarlo Hale, and mentions four other people on the Nationals’ interview list — current bench coach Randy Knorr and current first-base coach Trent Jewett, Arizona third-base coach Matt Williams, Padres’ front-office assistant Brad Ausmus.
TWINS ADD MOLITOR
The Minnesota Twins have added Paul Molitor to their coaching staff.
The team announced the decision Tuesday. Since 2005, Molitor has served as a minor league base running and infield coordinator for the organization. He was a coach on manager Tom Kelly's staff in the 2000 and 2001 seasons and also was hitting coach for Seattle in 2004, the year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The Twins re-signed manager Ron Gardenhire to a two-year contract and brought back the rest of his assistants. Molitor will oversee base running, bunting, infield instruction and positioning plus assist with in-game strategy from the dugout.
The 57-year-old Molitor played the last three of his 21 major league seasons for the Twins. He grew up in nearby St. Paul.
Contributors: Ryan Fagan, The Associated Press