Pirates lose Aroldis Chapman to hopeful AL contender in free agency

Just days after reports emerged that he was garnering serious interest from at least six different teams in free agency, former Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Aroldis Chapman has decided on a new home for next season.

The 36-year-old has agreed to a one-year, $10.75 million deal with the Boston Red Sox for 2025, pending physical, according to ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan. It will mark a return to the American League East for Chapman, who spent six of his 15 MLB seasons as the closer for the New York Yankees from 2017-22.

The Red Sox needed a left-handed bullpen arm, and Chapman can still throw gas and generate whiffs at a rate that defies Father Time. In his lone season with the Pirates, he had a 5-5 record with a 3.79 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 68 appearances. He regularly hit triple digits on the radar gun and was in the 90th percentile or higher in expected batting average, fastball velocity, strikeout rate and whiff rate.

Former Pirates flamethrower Aroldis Chapman signs one-year deal with Red Sox

Chapman's time in Pittsburgh was brief, but impactful. He stepped in as the Pirates' closer down the final stretch after David Bednar's demotion from the role, recording 14 saves on the season. He struck out batters last season at a remarkably high rate of 37.1%, and he remains a solid late-inning option for a team like the Red Sox that is looking to contend in 2025.

Chapman's $10.75 million deal with the Red Sox gives him a slight pay raise over the $10.5 million he made with the Pirates last season. Surely, Pittsburgh could have afforded to bring him back at that rate, but even his contract last year was significantly larger than Ben Cherington & co. are comfortable with handing out to free agents.

Chapman was easily the Pirates' best lefty reliever last season, and they will absolutely need to find another southpaw to replace him. They will also have to hope that Bednar returns to his dominant 2023 form and recaptures the closer role. Either way, with Chapman's $10.5 million off the books, the Pirates should have more financial flexibility to make some splashes in free agency this offseason.

Knowing the Pirates, they'll be small splashes – splash-lets, if you will – but $10.5 million got them a high leverage bullpen arm last year. Think of what a couple million more could get them in 2025.

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