Former New York Yankees Closer Finds New Home in NL
A former New York Yankees closer is heading back to the eastern time zone after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, per multiple reports.
Aroldis Chapman, who left the Yankees after the 2022 season, signed with the Kansas City Royals and was traded to the Texas Rangers last season, has agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Pirates, pending a physical.
Chapman has played more seasons with the Yankees than any of the other five teams he played with. In pinstripes Chapman went 24-14 with 153 saves.
He spent part of the 2016 season with the Yankees after they traded right-handed pitchers Caleb Cotham and Rookie Davis, and infielders Eric Jagielo and Tony Renda, to acquire Chapman.
But, MLB suspended Chapman for the first 30 games of the season due to an off-season personal conduct policy violation related to domestic violence and the Yankees traded him in July to the Chicago Cubs for Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Adam Warren, and Rashad Crawford.
Chapman ended up helping the Cubs win the 2016 World Series, the franchise’s first in more than 100 years.
He returned to the Yankees in 2017 and spent six seasons with the franchise. He was named an All-Star three times with the Yankees — 2018-, 2019 and 2021. He has made seven career All-Star Game appearances.
But his time with the Yankees ended controversially. He had two stints on the injured list in 2022 and lost the closer job to Clay Holmes. One of the IL stints was an infection after he got a tattoo. After he missed a mandatory workout before the ALDS he was left off the postseason roster and later released.
With the Rangers he went 2-3 with a 3.72 ERA in 20 appearances with four saves in 29 innings. He struck out 50 and walked 16. He also won his second World Series ring.
Chapman has a career 50-40 record with 321 saves and a 2.53 ERA. He strikes out 14.8 batters per nine innings and has 1,148 career strikeouts.
