The Cincinnati Reds will never find another Aroldis Chapman. But a team likely to push 100 losses in 2016 doesn’t need Chapman or any designated closer for that matter.
Chapman was an amazing find for the Reds. His signing in 2010 showed that the Reds could think it terms that other organizations with more financial resources could not.
Even though the Reds never developed Chapman as a starter, the use of the Cuban Missile as closer for four years provided the team with an incomparable bullpen piece.
The closest thing the Reds now have to Chapman and his 15.7 K/9 in 2015 is Jumbo Diaz (10.4 K/9) or lefty Tony Cingrani (10.5 K/9).
The most experienced closer the team has is J.J. Hoover, who notched five saves over the past four years filling in as closer when Chapman was either injured or resting.
The grim reality for the Reds in 2016 and beyond offers opportunities for the Reds to be creative with the use of their bullpen. It also allows them to put together a bullpen at an absolutely rock-bottom price.
Hoover is entering his first year of salary arbitration. He has put together three decent seasons for the Reds. He posted a 2.94 ERA in 67 games last year and is the most qualified of the rag-tag Reds’ reliever corps to inherit Chapman’s closer role.
The Reds, however, might be better off trading Hoover instead of naming him team closer. Hoover will have value as a potential closer or late-inning reliever for borderline contenders. But that value would evaporate if Hoover reverts to his 2014 form when he posted a 1-10 record with a 4,88 ERA.
Diaz and Cingrani would provide an acceptable lefty-righty closer by committee approach for the Reds. The Reds also recently signed 32-year-old Ryan Mattheus to a minor league deal. Mattheus posted a 4.09 ERA in 55 innings last year for the Reds. He could fill the void left by using Diaz as closer.
The worst decision the Reds could make is move one of their starting pitching prospects into the role of closer. Both Michael Lorenzen and Brandon Finnegan showed enough promise as starters in 2015 to play out their potential as starters for another year.
After all, a team poised to lose a franchise-high number of games for the upcoming season really doesn’t really need a closer at all.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
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