Veteran left-handed flame-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman signs a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. The deal is for $10.75 million. Given the demand for high-leverage relief pitchers during the offseason, Chapman was sure to be a hot commodity.
Left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $10.75 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Boston sought left-handed help for its bullpen and lands the 36-year-old Chapman. @ChrisCotillo said deal was progressing.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 3, 2024
Former All-Star and World Champion Reliever Chapman Signs with the Red Sox
The Red Sox will be Chapman’s seventh team, having previously pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He earned World Series rings with the Cubs in 2016 and Texas in 2023. Chapman, who turns 37 in spring training, was 5-5 with 14 saves, 22 holds, a 3.79 ERA, and a 1.346 WHIP for Pittsburgh in 2024. Despite his age, he hasn’t lost his velocity and recorded some of the fastest pitches in all baseball last year. “The Cuban Missile,” as he’s known, struck out 14.3 batters per nine innings, translating to a 37 percent strikeout rate.
For his 15-year career, Chapman has pitched in 796 games, all in relief, with a record of 55-45 with 335 saves, a 2.63 ERA, and a 20.8 WAR. He’s struck out 40 percent of all batters faced. Opposing batters have hit just .168/.281/.260 against him. When opponents touch him up, it’s because he’s done himself in. He’s walked 12.6 percent of opponents faced, a rate approximately 52 percent higher than the major league average.
What Chapman Brings to the Table
Despite the bouts of wildness that often result in extended slumps, and with his checkered past apparently behind him, Chapman is still a reliable bullpen piece. He’s served as a closer, racking up 272 saves from 2012-19. But he also checks his ego at the clubhouse door and is willing to serve as a setup man. What Chapman doesn’t do is give his team multiple innings. He’s pitched just 760 innings in those 796 games. In 2024, he pitched 61 2/3 innings in 68 games, making only one appearance that lasted longer than an inning.
Chapman is a freak of nature who should continue to blow up the radar guns despite his age. The magnitude of contracts given to one-inning pitchers in today’s baseball may often seem silly, but the Red Sox will be satisfied if Chapman repeats the type of season he had in 2024. With the departure of Kenley Jansen, it’s possible that Chapman will slide into the closer role for the Red Sox.
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