Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Veteran lefty reliever Andrew Chafin has signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The news was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Per Rosenthal, the deal, which is pending a physical, is expected to be in the guaranteed range of $6.5 million. The contract could eventually reach a total value of $7.5 million with incentives, however. The one-year deal also contains an option, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Chafin was arguably the best lefty reliever left on the open market and he’s now found a new home just before the start of spring training.
The Mets were linked with Chafin given their need for a high-end lefty arm in the bullpen. Interestingly, the Mets have been mentioned in the same circles as Chafin for quite some time now and he would have been the ideal candidate to fill a sizeable void. However, as has been the case in previous years, the veteran is now off the market once again.
It is also worth noting that perhaps the Mets took themselves out of the race for Chafin a while ago. Per a report from Andy Martino of SNY, the front office would prefer a bullpen arm with options remaining. As such, that would have ruled Chafin out as a potential target.
This move also sees Chafin go back to where it began given that he was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft. The lefty was quickly transformed into a reliever by Arizona and he posted a solid 3.68 ERA with 288 strikeouts across a seven-year span.
He was then dealt to the Chicago Cubs at the 2020 trade deadline, where he posted a 3.00 ERA in a small sample size. That earned Chafin a one-year, $2.25 million deal. After pitching to a dominant 2.06 ERA during the first-half of the 2021 season, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics where he was lights out for the rest of the year with a 1.53 ERA. He also recorded a 0.93 WHIP, 2.98 FIP, 64 strikeouts, issued 19 walks and allowed just four home runs that year.
After a strong year, Chafin entered free agency with options and he elected to sign for the Detroit Tigers on a one-year, $6.5 million deal. He enjoyed another good year with a 2.83 ERA, to go along with three saves and 67 strikeouts in 57.1 innings pitched.
With Chafin having now opted for a return to the team that drafted him, another elite lefty arm is off the market and it remains to be seen whether the Mets look to address what is a very real need before spring training starts.
