Sources – Pirates, Aroldis Chapman comply with 1-year, $10.5M deal

Left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed on a one-year, $10.5 million contract on Monday, sources informed ESPN, confirming a number of stories.

Chapman, 35, is the hardest-throwing pitcher in baseball since velocity monitoring was launched to the sport and pitched important innings for the Texas Rangers en path to their first World Collection championship this 12 months. With a fastball averaging greater than 99 mph, he struck out 103 in 58⅓ innings, strolling 36 and permitting 4 house runs with a 3.09 ERA.

The Pirates, who mission to be one of many youngest groups within the majors subsequent season, additionally added veteran lefties Martin Perez and Marco Gonzales earlier this winter.

Chapman’s resurgence got here after a attempting 2022 with the New York Yankees, who left him off their postseason roster. Chapman signed a one-year, $3.75 million cope with the Kansas Metropolis Royals earlier than the 2023 season and was dealt in June to the Rangers for left-hander Cole Ragans.

Texas hoped Chapman would assist stabilize a skinny bullpen, and whereas he by no means pitched nicely sufficient to lock down the nearer job, he pitched in 9 postseason video games and allowed two runs in eight innings, putting out six and strolling 5.

Chapman, coming into his fifteenth main league season, is without doubt one of the most achieved closers in baseball historical past. His profession strikeout fee of 14.8 per 9 innings is the most effective of any pitcher with greater than 500 innings, and he has saved 321 video games — tied for twenty first all-time — whereas making seven All-Star groups.