Free-agent left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman has agreed to a one-year, $10.75 million deal with the Red Sox, reports ESPN. He’ll ostensibly be taking over for Kenley Jansen, who hit free agency after two seasons and 56 saves in Boston. The team has not confirmed the signing, but Chapman has posted a photo of himself in a Red Sox hat.
Chapman was ranked No. 49 on CBS Sports’ list of the top 50 free agents this winter, credited as a pitcher who “continues to get the job done.”
Chapman still throws hard; he still issues a lot of free passes; he still strikes out a ton of batters; and he still doesn’t seem to demand the closer’s role to sign. Is there anything new to report here? Maybe that he’s staying further from being the two-pitch pitcher he was at his peak, now throwing four pitches more than 10% of the time: four-seamer, sinker, slider, and splitter. Beyond that, you know this guy’s whole deal.
He heads to his age-37 season while still having elite upside in the missing bats department. He struck out 98 in 61 ⅔ innings last season for the Pirates, pitching to a 3.79 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. Walks remain a problem as they have the last several years. He issued 39 free passes last season, marking his fourth straight season over 5.5 BB/9.
The fastball velocity was long a calling card for Chapman and it remains high — 97.8 mph on the fastball and 99.8 mph on the sinker last season — even if he isn’t nearly the same imposing presence as he was through the mid-2010s.
Though Chapman is 16th in career saves with 335, he’s shown a willingness to work in roles other than closer. He’s won a World Series both as the main closer (2016 Cubs) and in a setup role (2023 Rangers), appearing in the playoffs in eight different postseasons.
The move gives the Red Sox more left-handed options out of the bullpen, where Justin Wilson and Brennan Bernardino were currently slotted in as the only southpaws.
As he heads toward his late thirties, expect the erratic Chapman to remain inconsistent but also pile up the strikeouts.
