The Boston Red Sox are keeping Aroldis Chapman around.
Chapman and the Red Sox reached a $13.3 million deal on Sunday for the 2026 campaign that includes a vesting option for 2027, the team announced.
He’ll now be guaranteed $26 million over two years if he pitches at least 40 innings next summer. If he doesn’t, he would receive a $300,000 buyout unless both sides accept a mutual option otherwise.
The 37-year-old closer is in the midst of one of his best seasons to date in his first campaign in Boston. He holds a career-best 1.04 ERA in 57 games and 52 innings pitched, and he converted his 27th save of the season on Sunday while helping the Red Sox grab a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chapman has now gone 15 games without allowing a hit, too, which is the longest in Red Sox history. That’s the longest streak in Major League Baseball since Toronto Blue Jays closer Sergio Santos did so back in 2013, too.
Chapman has 362 saves in his career. The Cuban native got his start in the league in 2010 with the Cincinnati Reds, where he spent six seasons before a seven-year run with the New York Yankees. He’s also spent time with the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
With their win on Sunday, the Red Sox hold a 76-62 record. That has them in third in the AL East, but they are just 3.5 games back from the Blue Jays in the division race and are currently on pace to secure a wild-card spot. That would send the franchise back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
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