Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman Extension Was A Steal, Insider Claims

If Craig Breslow starts openly talking about a new contract for the Boston Red Sox, chances are, it might be coming to fruition quite soon.

It came out Friday that Breslow, the second-year Red Sox chief baseball officer, told MassLive's Sean McAdam that he was very open to the idea of an extension for 37-year-old closer Aroldis Chapman, who has been the best reliever in the sport this season. Less than 48 hours later, an extension was in place.

According to multiple reports, the Red Sox and Chapman have finalized a one-year, $13 million extension with a $13 million vesting option for 2027, which becomes a mutual option if it does not vest. It was a pleasant surprise to see another in-season extension hammered out, but just how good is the value here for the Red Sox?

Insider sounds off on Red Sox's Chapman extension

To hear McAdam tell it, it was a fantastic deal from a Boston perspective. On Sunday, McAdam praised the Red Sox for getting a deal done this close to free agency at a "below-market price."

"Chapman... has been remarkably durable and injury-free for his career and has avoided any significant arm injuries due to his diligent weight-training program. If you’re going to bet on a 37-year-old still throwing 100 mph, Chapman is your guy," wrote McAdam.

"What’s more, Chapman has been, by all accounts, a good teammate, and unlike some diva-like closers who are fixated on save total, hasn’t once balked when asked to pitch the eighth inning. ... Every free agent deal for a pitcher comes within a certain amount of risk. But the Red Sox managed to bring back a guy at the top of his game at 1) a below-market price and 2) with just a one-year investment."

Chapman's numbers simply don't look real: a 1.04 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts in 52 innings. He hasn't given up a hit since July 23, a streak of 14 consecutive innings, and his ERA is over half a run lower than any other closer with at least 15 saves on the year.

No one can be certain of a relief pitcher's ability to repeat their performance from the previous season, but there's also rarely such a thing as a bad one-year contract. Nothing Chapman has done at age 37 suggests his age-38 season will be anything close to a failure, even if he takes a step back.

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