Say it ain't so, Aroldis.

The Reds pitching coach is Bryan Price. I remember him being profiled in a Rob Neyer article announcing pitch counts as thing that would guarantee that Ryan Anderson would have a productive career. Or something like that.

I thought using him as a reliever for two years was the innings limit.

Gonna be awesome.

And annoying.

i think he'll either win the cy young or blow his arm out or do something in between.

It'll be awesome when he's 16-3, 2.80 ERA and made to sit in Sept. for their run to the playoffs.

This is exciting. I hope he doesn't blow out his arm, and that if this doesn't work they can move him back to the bullpen and get the most value out of him. I was just thinking, with the news that Bryce Harper is apparently moving out of CF, that it's disappointing to see the Nats move him to a less demanding position - I would love to see whether he could hang on in CF where his ceiling is obviously higher. It's nice to see a team (finally) putting a player in a position to potentially maximize his value.

He really struggled at times with getting anything but his fastball over, but the Reds have to find out what they have.

I'd really hate to see a Strasburg redux. But I have little doubt that the Reds will be willing to at least use Chapman as a reliever in the stretch run or postseason even if he's surpassed his innings target.

What if Mike Rizzo and Company™ have started the Next Big Thing and all the other teams now follow suit. Why, he could write a book!

Not using your pitcher is the new Market Inefficiency.

Chapman is 25 (we think). He's not coming off Tommy John surgery. We don't know how much he pitched in Cuba.

Say it ain't so, Aroldis.

I just recently realized that his name isn't "Ar-do-lis". (Of course, I used to think Zoilo Versalles was pronounced "ZOH-lee-oh ver-SY"...)

Not using your pitcher is the new Market Inefficiency

QFT. I mean, I'd hate to see any arm deliberately ruined, but he is paid to play baseball. He should play some baseball in exchange :)

As innings limits go, this sounds pretty loose. And in addition to all the other differences between Chapman and Strasburg, the defending NL Central Champion Reds are pretty clearly planning on a pennant race and post-season in 2013, so they're more likely to devise a plan that saves some innings for September and October.

I just recently realized that his name isn't "Ar-do-lis". (Of course, I used to think Zoilo Versalles was pronounced "ZOH-lee-oh ver-SY"...)

I'd been reading Colin Kaepernick's name as Colin Kaerpatrick since he was in college. I guess that comes from having dropped ESPN and not having sports talk radio in my area since I moved.

(How do you pronounce Zoilo Versalles? ZOI-low ver-SAL-less?)

ZOI-lo ver-SIGH

Anyone want to bet he WON'T be available for Dusty in the 9th inning of a Game 7?

And suddenly Dusty Baker is everyone's friend ...

I think it's pretty safe to say we won't see a repeat of the Washington situation here. Jocketty is getting close to retirement, and he's going to ensure he at least has Chapman as a reliever in the playoffs.