Veteran closer Aroldis Chapman has found a new home. Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the hard-throwing lefty is signing a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the rebuilding Kansas City Royals. It was a nightmare ending to his stint with the New York Yankees, with the team actually leaving Chapman off the ALDS roster after missing a workout. He was also fined. The Bronx Bombers felt the seven-time All-Star wasn't all in and it showed in his numbers.
Chapman had the worst season of his career in 2022, going 4-4 with a 4.46 ERA, walking 28 batters in just 36.1 innings of work. The Cuban ultimately lost the closer job at the end of May after collecting only nine saves. Nevertheless, several teams were showing interest in Aroldis Chapman, who still regularly touches the high 90s with his fastball.
He reportedly threw a bullpen for the Miami Marlins on Wednesday before deciding on the Royals. There's a good chance Chapman gets the opportunity to close out ballgames in KC.
Chapman first featured in the big leagues way back in 2009 for the Cincinnati Reds and was the only guy at the time who could regularly surpass 100 MPH with his heater in the MLB. Command and attitude problems have always been an issue for the 34-year-old though, as we saw in New York. He helped the Chicago Cubs win a World Series in 2016 before heading back to Yankee Stadium just a year later.
It'll be interesting to see if Aroldis Chapman can re-find his best with the Royals. The expectations won't be nearly as high, that's for sure.
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