More and more, we are approaching the start of camps across the MLB. This means that in the coming weeks, we can think that the free agent market will become active.
Until now, in the bullpen, it was pretty quiet, but we could think that the signing of Josh Hader in Houston would change things. After all, that's often how the market works: the big names get paid and the teams that missed out then turn to other available options.
And tonight, another reliever found a buyer, as none other than Aroldis Chapman signed a contract for the 2024 season.
It was with the Pittsburgh Pirates that he finally came to an agreement.
We are talking about a one-year pact for the sum of $10.5 million, and obviously, it is a contract that is reminiscent of the one he signed last year with the Kansas Royals City.
He signed for one year, sure, but one might think that in reality, he signed with the Pirates to play until the trade deadline. Last year, he did the same thing with the Royals, who traded him to the Texas Rangers, with whom he won the World Series.
That said, let's still give credit to the Pirates, who are not known for being big spenders in the autonomy market in normal times. There is a world in which they trade Chapman in a few months, but there is also one where the Cuban solidifies the bullpen of a young team that could surprise.
In Pittsburgh, on the other hand, he will (most likely) not have the luxury of pitching the ninth inning. David Bednar, who is the end-game specialist in Pittsburgh, is one of the best in the league at this level and I have a hard time seeing Chapman supplanting him.
Unless Bednar gets traded before the start of the season, obviously. There, that would change things.
It's a good bet for the Pirates, therefore, who are getting a good reliever in Chapman and who can trade him for a prospect in a few months if the losses accumulate.
And hats off to them for spending on the autonomy market. I like to see less spending teams take bets like this, and I hope it pays off for them in the end.
