"Aroldis Chapman and the Red Sox agreed to a one year extension valued at $13.3 million, with a mutual and/or vesting option valued at an additional $13 million for 2027. Is this a smart move? On one hand, Chapman is one of the greatest relievers of all-time and is having one of the best seasons of his career, posting a near-career best strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.29 and an ERA+ of (holy shit alert) 401. That's pretty good!"
"But I'll admit that I'm skeptical. Chapman is 37-years-old. Coming into this season, he showed plenty of signs of age-related decline and increasing wildness, posting a BB9 rate over 5 for 4 straight seasons. While he has been outstanding this season, I'm betting on father time to retain his undefeated streak, and for the long-term trends of Chapman's career to maintain course. I will also admit that I am biased: I never wanted Chapman on this team and don't enjoy rooting for him, even now."
Aroldis Chapman signed a one-year, $13.3 million extension with a mutual/vesting option worth $13 million for 2027. At age 37, Chapman is producing one of his best seasonal performances, posting a 5.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio and an ERA+ of 401, while earlier seasons showed rising walk rates and signs of decline with BB9 above 5 for four straight years. The one-year deal limits long-term risk but raises questions about sustainability given age and past control issues. Rookie Payton Tolle debuted explosively, has a next turn potentially against Cleveland, and his rise supports organizational pitching development efforts.
Read at Over the Monster
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