Royals’ Signing of Aroldis Chapman Sparks Plenty of Questions
The Kansas City Royals shocked the baseball world on Thursday when it was reported that they were planning to sign seven-time All-Star relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman to a one-year contract worth a base of $3.75 million pending a physical. The former New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs flamethrower brings an impressive resume with him to Kansas City, but also some significant question marks that will need to be answered as the 2023 campaign unfolds.
Was this a good decision by the Royals? Will their polarizing move pay off, or will it turn out to be a bad investment? What should be expected of an aging Chapman in 2023? The Inside the Royals crew gathered to share some analysis on the Thursday news.
Jerry Edwards: The Royals seemingly have made their choice in signing Aroldis Chapman over Zack Greinke, a move that might be unpopular but makes more sense because Chapman possesses more potential trade. Greinke was a Cy Young-caliber pitcher at Kauffman Stadium last year with an ERA under 2.00. He was abysmal on the road, though, with an ERA over 5.00.
The motivation for Chapman to be great this year is also much more obvious than it is for Greinke. Chapman had the first really bad year of his career in 2022, and one more of those means he might be done in the league. Both times Chapman has been traded, he’s brought back four prospects, if he’s good or great this year, the Royals could get something for him. Save the good vibes and feelings for Hallmark cards and leave the sensible and calculated moves to the front office.
Mark Van Sickle: An All-Star Yankee transitioning from New York to Kansas City? Usually the opposite has happened in the club’s past, but these circumstances are not normal. Chapman’s off-the-field past has drawn concerns and his on-the-field play in 2022 brought question marks. If Chapman can channel his 2020/2021 power, this may turn into a sign-and-trade situation for the Royals. It’s a business decision the former GM likely wouldn’t have made, so this makes it a little bit intriguing as spring training inches closer.
Trevor Hahn: Signing Aroldis Chapman is definitely an odd deal for the Royals. There are definitely character concerns that come along with him, and you can’t be sure that he has all that much left in the tank at this point. With that being said, it’s a fairly low-risk deal for a player that could bring trade value at the deadline. Along with Amir Garrett, Josh Staumont and Dylan Coleman, the KC bullpen will be one of the hardest-throwing ones in the league, but the big question will be where these pitches land.
Trey Donovan: You typically don't see former All-Stars come to the Royals from any big market, let alone New York, but the Aroldis Chapman deal is definitely a weird one. There are obvious character concerns with him and the fact that he has regressed the past few seasons makes this deal not great on paper. The Royals followed tradition in signing a veteran pitcher to hopefully have a bounce-back season but if they wanted that, there were other options (Alex Reyes, Zack Britton, Chad Green, etc.).
Jacob Milham: Chapman is a polarizing addition, and has a ripple effect both on and off the diamond. Royals fans are strongly divided over his past, his fit in Kansas City and what this means for the new Royals regime. I will save thoughts on the regime itself until a later date, but putting Royals fans in this position is tough. Besides, Chapman will be a project at the age of 34 (almost 35) and doesn’t immediately improve this relief corps. I will not judge his tenure in Kansas City before it's over with, but it is deservedly starting on a sour note.
