Getty Aroldis Chapman
On January 20, Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey his expectations for 2024 included “contention throughout the season.” Just two days later, the team started putting their money where their mouth is, signing seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman to a one-year, $10.5 million contract, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
The Pirates will be the sixth team of Chapman’s career, with the 35-year-old having played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers since his MLB debut in 2010. The left-hander signed a one-year, $3.75 million contract with the Royals last offseason, but was traded to the Rangers on June 30, 2023, in one of the first moves of the trade deadline.
Free-agent reliever Aroldis Chapman in agreement with Pirates on a one-year, $10.5M contract, pending physical, source tells @TheAthletic. On it: @francysromeroFR, @Joelsherman1.
In 2023, Chapman went 6-5 with a 3.09 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 58.1 innings split between the Royals and Rangers. He pitched 8 innings during the Rangers’ postseason campaign, posting a 2.25 ERA with 6 strikeouts to help the team take home the first World Series title in franchise history.
Going into his 14th MLB season, Chapman’s fastball still averages 99.5 mph (99th percentile), but his walk rate has been above 14.5 percent in each of the last three seasons. Still, Chapman is likely to slot into the Pirates’ bullpen as a reliable high-leverage arm, joining two-time All-Star closer David Bednar.
Inside Aroldis Chapman’s Deal With the Pirates
On January 22, Chapman agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Pirates, according to Rosenthal. The team is yet to confirm the signing, which is expected to become official once Chapman passes a physical.
Contention Plans in Pittsburgh
The Pirates ended the 2023 season fourth in the NL Central with a record of 76-86. It was the team’s fifth consecutive losing season, having finished 62-100 in 2022, 61-101 in 2021, 19-41 in 2020, and 69-93 in 2019.
So far this winter, Pittsburgh has added Marco Gonzales, Rowdy Tellez, Martín Pérez, and Andrew McCutchen to their roster, either by way of trade or free agent signing, with Chapman joining as the latest acquisition. Still, the Pirates have work to do if they’re serious about playoff contention in 2024.
“I wish we were further along in this offseason than we are,” Nutting told Mackey on January 7. “I’ve seen how hard (general manager) Ben (Cherington) has pushed. I’ve seen how close we’ve gotten to some deals. But we’re only halfway through. I think there’s still time. There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
In 2023, Pittsburgh’s bullpen posted a 4.27 ERA, ranking them 19th in MLB. Adding Chapman will almost certainly help the team in that area, as will Pérez if he’s able to get back to his 2022 form. The Pirates also desperately needed to add at least one starter this winter, and while Gonzales will join in the bottom half of the rotation, an ace is still on the priority list.
Having already missed out on free agent starters Sean Manaea and Yariel Rodriguez this offseason, Nutting’s optimism about 2024 isn’t without acknowledgement of the challenges ahead.
“It will take every bit of creative work to continue to improve the team,” he told Mackey. It’s tough. There are 29 other teams trying very hard with very good resources and very good teams. That’s what we’re waking up every day to compete against.”