Aroldis Chapman has been nothing short of excellent for the Boston Red Sox since signing a one-year, $10.5 million deal in free agency last offseason. On Sunday, the Red Sox rewarded that excellence by signing him to a one-year extension with a vesting/mutual option for 2027.
According to the terms of the agreement, Chapman will earn a $13 million base salary in 2026. If he reaches 40 innings next season, he will get a $13 million salary again in 2027 to guarantee him $26 million over the next two years. If not, he would receive a $300,000 buyout unless both sides accept a mutual option. As the best closer in the league right now, that's a bargain salary for the Red Sox with minimal risk attached as the deal could stretch into his age-39 season.
At 37 years old, Chapman is enjoying the most dominant season of his career. The southpaw has pitched to a career-low 1.02 ERA while converting 27 saves in 29 opportunities during his 16th Major League campaign, his first with the Red Sox. Last season, he posted a 3.79 ERA in 61 2/3 innings with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Red Sox's contract details with Aroldis Chapman revealed (and it's a bargain)
Chapman will be 38 years old by the time his new contract kicks in, but he's shown no signs of slowing down. He earned his eighth All-Star selection this season, and he has thrown a pitch faster than 100 mph in 16 straight seasons – a record for the pitch tracking era.
Chapman has 76 strikeouts in 53 innings during his resurgent season in Boston, and he hasn't given up a hit to the past 44 batters he has faced. He extended his career-best hitless streak Sunday to 15 games – the longest in Red Sox history and tied for the third-longest in the Major Leagues since 1901. Chapman's overall strike percentage of 69.8% is also the best of his career.
With numbers like that, Chapman almost certainly could have received a bigger payday on the open market if he had elected free agency in November. Instead, he renewed his commitment to the Red Sox, where he has already become a cornerstone of the organization's sustained success.
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