Veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman and the Red Sox have reached agreement on a one-year, $10.75 million contract for 2025, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Tuesday. The team has not confirmed the agreement, which is pending a physical.
Chapman still throws the ball with tremendous velocity, and he provides a potentially devastating lefty power arm out of the bullpen. His fastball, which was clocked as high as 105 mph in 2024, averaged just under 99 mph and helped fuel a 37.1% strikeout rate, which ranked in MLB’s 99th percentile.
Overall in 2024, he went 5-5 with 19 saves and a 3.79 ERA in 68 games for the Pirates, his fourth team in the past three seasons. The 36-year-old struck out 98 batters in 61 2/3 innings with Pittsburgh, while holding opponents to a .168 expected average, which ranked in MLB’s 99th percentile.
While Chapman’s triple-digit fastball remains his signature pitch, it also remains just one tool in an impressive repertoire. He also possesses a power sinker and slider, which produced whiff rates of 32% and 31%, respectively, in 2024. But he also struggles with his control at times, an issue that has plagued him throughout his career. The wildness led to a 14.4% walk rate that was among the worst in MLB last season.
For his career, the seven-time All-Star has 335 saves and an 87.5 save percentage, both of which rank third among active pitchers.
