The Boston Red Sox solidified their bullpen with the signing of fastball expert, Aroldis Chapman. The 6’4 flame thrower will likely be the team’s closer for the 2025 season. The contract is for one year and $10.75 million. Last season the Sox relied on 36-year-old Kenley Jansen late in games, and he finished the season with 27 saves in 54 appearances. He posted a 3.29 ERA and recorded 62 strikeouts and 20 walks in 54.2 innings pitched.
From 2012 to 2019 Chapman was one of the best closers in all of baseball. Those eight seasons were spent between the Reds, Cubs, and Yankees, and Chapman averaged 34 saves per season. He posted a 2.10 ERA and 0.993 WHIP, while recording 793 strikeouts and 202 walks in 472 innings pitched. Hitters struggled against Chapman, hitting just .161, with a .500 OPS.
Last season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chapman was effective, but clearly a shell of his former self. He appeared in 68 games, saving 14 of them. He pitched 61.2 innings, recording 98 strikeouts to 39 walks, and posting a 3.79 ERA. Batters who faced him hit .198 with an OPS of .636. His 1.346 WHIP is the second-highest of his career (2022 with the Yankees).
Chapman’s numbers were comparable to Jansen’s last season, and he’s making significantly less than Jansen’s $16 million. Chapman will be 37 when the season starts, and though he is at the tail end of his career, he still frequently hits triple digits on the radar gun. He isn’t a bargain, but he isn’t overpaid either. He may actually present a great deal of entertainment value, if his production isn’t ideal.
Chapman may not help the Red Sox get to a World Series, and he won’t be expected to save 40 games in 2025, but he will bring electricity into games. He is fun to watch, and fans who may be bored at the end of Boston’s games next year could feel a bit giddy seeing Chapman come in from the bullpen. It won’t matter if he strikes everyone out, or walks every batter, as long as he is hitting 102 and 103 miles per hour, the fans will definitely be entertained.
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