Since the end of the 2024 season and after a bullpen collapse of epic proportions from the Boston Red Sox, there has been background chatter about who the team's next closer will be.
The team signed an additional option on Dec. 3. Former Yankees, Rangers and Pirates closer Aroldis Chapman will join Liam Hendriks, Justin Slaten and more in the great Red Sox closer race.
Boston signed Chapman to a one-year, $10.75 million deal. MLB insider Jeff Passan confirmed the details, but Chris Cotillo of MassLive broke the news of the signing before it was complete.
Chapman has seven All-Star appearances over his 15-year career, which began with the Reds in 2010. Red Sox fans likely know him best from his seven seasons with the Yankees over two stints.
The Red Sox sign former Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman to one-year, $10.75 million deal
Update: Red Sox and Chapman have a one-year deal, per source https://t.co/2SqkBtVJSW
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 3, 2024
Chapman, who turns 37 in February, still has blistering velocity on his fastball and an excellent 99th-percentile strikeout rate, but his command is questionable and he tends to walk plenty of batters. He posted a 3.79 ERA with 98 strikeouts and 39 walks in 61.2 innings with the Pirates in 2024. He finished the season on a strong note, though, and clocked a 1.35 ERA in his final seven outings of the year.
The Red Sox need more left-handed arms for their staff and seem to think Chapman is the answer. Boston used Brennan Bernardino, Cam Booser and Bailey Horn as its lefties last season, but all three experienced inconsistencies throughout the year. Surely Chapman will, as well, but he'll replace Horn as one of the 'pen's southpaws with more velocity and greater strike-throwing ability. Hopefully, Andrew Bailey and his coaching staff can help the veteran refine his command.
Chapman's formidable 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings from 2024 could put him firmly in the lead for Boston's closer job if he can work to limit walks this offseason. Red Sox Nation never got to see Hendriks in the big leagues last year, though, and if his Tommy John surgery recovery went well, he could be the other leading contender for the Sox's closer spot.