The Boston Red Sox suffered a quick, one-sided elimination with two straight losses to the New York Yankees in an American League wild-card series that ended Wednesday, in games that were not really competitive.
But three days later, the Red Sox got the first piece of news about what their 2027 roster will look like.
Aroldis Chapman passed his end-of-season physical Saturday, making his $13 million option for 2027 official and keeping the dominant Boston Red Sox closer under contract through his age-39 season, according to insider Francys Romero’s report Saturday.
Chapman, born Feb. 28, 1988, is 38. The vesting locks him in for 2027, with free agency to follow if he chooses to continue pitching into 2028, according to Spotrac.
The innings trigger came Aug. 15, 2026, when Chapman closed a 4-0 win at Pittsburgh with a scoreless ninth and passed 40 innings for the season. That tripped the option, pending a physical showing no impairment that would keep him off the Opening Day roster, according to an MLB.com report.
Aroldis Chapman’s Red Sox Contract Breakdown
The Aug. 31, 2025 extension guaranteed Chapman $13.3 million, with a $1 million signing bonus payable by Jan. 15, 2026, plus a $12 million salary this season, according to an Associated Press breakdown.
The 2027 option pays $13 million, or a $300,000 buyout had it not vested. Award escalators add between $100,000 and $1 million, with the top figure tied to a Reliever of the Year honor, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
The extension followed a one-year, $10.75 million deal in 2025. The vested salary sits below Josh Hader at $19 million and Edwin Díaz at more than $21 million, according to Bosox Injection.
Chapman went 5-3 with a 1.17 ERA, 32 saves and 85 strikeouts over 61 1/3 innings in 2025, according to Baseball-Reference. He won the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award and finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting.
This season he went 3-4 with a 1.92 ERA, 35 saves and 71 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings, earning his ninth All-Star selection. A lat issue sidelined him after Sept. 13, and he returned Sept. 23 to earn his 35th save.
On July 3 in Anaheim, he struck out Denzer Guzman for career No. 1,364, passing Hoyt Wilhelm’s 1,363 for the most by a reliever, according to MLB.com‘s coverage of the strikeout record. Wilhelm needed 1,872 1/3 innings. Chapman needed roughly 847.
Chapman’s Place in History
In 17 seasons, Chapman owns a 63-52 record, a 2.48 ERA, 402 saves and 1,402 strikeouts, with 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He won World Series titles with the 2016 Cubs and 2023 Rangers.
His 402 saves rank ninth all-time, according to League Leaders‘ all-time saves list. Ahead of him are Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601), Kenley Jansen (498), Lee Smith (478), Craig Kimbrel (441), Francisco Rodríguez (437), John Franco (424) and Billy Wagner (422). Dennis Eckersley (390) sits behind.
On strikeouts, Chapman’s total tops Rivera (1,173), Hoffman (1,133), Wagner (1,196) and Rodríguez (1,142). Only Eckersley, at 2,401, is higher among the top saves leaders, but the bulk of those strikeouts came as a starting pitcher.
Wagner finished after 2010 at 39 with 422 saves. Smith retired after 1997 at 39 with 478. Rivera pitched until 43 and Hoffman until 42, finishing with 652 and 601.
Jansen, born Sept. 30, 1987, is under five months older and still active. Kimbrel, born May 28, 1988, is three months younger. Rivera, Hoffman, Smith, Wagner and Eckersley are in the Hall of Fame, where Chapman is almost certainly headed.
Will Aroldis Chapman be Back With the Red Sox in 2027? News Breaks Saturday