An American League East rival added a relief pitcher.
Numerous sources reported on Tuesday morning that the Boston Red Sox have signed left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman.
The 36-year-old has been in the league since 2010, pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Most recently, he pitched for the Pirates, posting a 3.79 ERA and a 3.04 FIP in 61.2 innings pitched.
For his career, Chapman has a 2.63 ERA and a 2.41 FIP in 760 innings pitched. In his postseason career, Chapman has pitched 49.1 innings with a 2.37 ERA and a 2.93 FIP, along with a 33.7 K% and a 10.4 BB%. The 36-year-old has won two World Series in his career, one with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and another one with the Texas Rangers in 2023.
Chapman is the first major relief pitcher to sign this off-season. Other high-leverage relievers on the market include Tanner Scott and Jeff Hoffman, among others. While Chapman wasn’t the best on the market, he has been pretty consistent throughout his career. He’s always had a big arm, averaging a fastball in the upper-90s while striking out 40% of his batters throughout his career. With that being said, he’s also struggled with command, as he has a career 12.6 BB%.
One of the biggest Red Sox’s needs this off-season was signing a left-handed pitcher for their bullpen, and Chapman certainly fits that bill. The team is also interested in the top free agent, Juan Soto, as they are seen as one of five finalists for the 26-year-old outfielder.
Joining them are the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, and the Toronto Blue Jays, who also need to sign a handful of relievers this off-season. The Mets are seen as the favourite to sign the superstar outfielder.
Next Monday, the annual winter meetings begin, so expect a ton of signings leading up to it and during the event.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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