Boston Red Sox Officially Sign Reliever Aroldis Chapman to One-Year Deal

After losing Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin in free agency, the Red Sox have signed the veteran lefty.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (45) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning at PNC Park on Sept 10. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

UPDATE, 10:44 a.m. ET: The deal is now official, per Jeff Passan of ESPN:

Left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $10.75 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Boston sought left-handed help for its bullpen and lands the 36-year-old Chapman. @ChrisCotillo said deal was progressing.

Left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $10.75 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Boston sought left-handed help for its bullpen and lands the 36-year-old Chapman. @ChrisCotillo said deal was progressing.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 3, 2024

According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Boston Red Sox are moving closer to a deal for free agent reliever Aroldis Chapman.

We recently heard that there were at least six teams interested in Chapman, so it's not surprising to see his market jump in advance of the winter meetings, which begin Dec. 9 in Dallas.

After (likely) losing Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin in free agency this offseason, it makes sense that the Sox are looking at bullpen help. They have Liam Hendriks and Michael Fullmer coming back, but both remain question marks after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Furthermore, the Sox could end up moving a starter like Garrett Whitlock to the bullpen, should they sign another starter this offseason.

The Red Sox have progressed in talks with Aroldis Chapman and are working toward signing him, source tells MassLive.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 3, 2024

Chapman, who will turn 37 years old before the start of the 2025 season, spent the 2024 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing in 68 games. He went 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA, registering 14 saves in total. He took over at the end of the year for an injured David Bednar, getting those nine saves.

A 15-year veteran, Chapman has spent time with the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers and Pirates. He helped the Cubs win the World Series in 2016 and the Rangers take the title in 2023.

It's unknown how he'd slot into the Red Sox bullpen should he officially sign there, but the idea of him, Hendriks and Fullmer could give the Sox a potent back-end.

Boston finished 81-81 and finished third in the American League East.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.