3 upcoming free agents the Pittsburgh Pirates should retain

Aroldis Chapman

Similarly to Tellez, many were chalking Aroldis Chapman up as a huge failure at the end of April. Chapman pitched nine innings in the first month of the year, allowing six earned runs. While he struck out 16, he also walked 12. Control has never been one of Chapman's strong suits, but at 36, many wondered if this was the start of the end of the Cuban Missile's MLB career.

However, Chapman has gotten his act together since then. His most recent 36.2 innings have yielded a quality 2.70 ERA, 3.45 FIP, and 1.23 WHIP. Walks are still an issue, as he has a 14.3% BB%, but he's struck out well over a third of opponents with a 37.3% K%. Batters haven't been able to collect many hits off of the veteran flamethrower, with a .177 batting average against. Chapman has also held opponents to a respectable 0.98 HR/9 rate.

Right now, the Pirates do not have any left-handed relievers who are under control through 2025. Chapman is arguably the second-best left-handed reliever on an expiring contract, behind Tanner Scott. At worst, he's the third best if the Atlanta Braves buy out Aaron Bummer, which seems highly unlikely.

Chapman signed a one-year deal worth $10.5 million this past off-season. Keep in mind that Chapman signed this after an even better season with the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers and pitched well in the Postseason en route to his second World Series ring. He could likely be had for an additional year at a lower rate.