Texas Rangers acquire former All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman to help bolster bullpen
The Texas Rangers made a move to bolster their bullpen late Friday when they traded for seven-time All-Star reliever Aroldis Chapman.
The Rangers traded pitcher Cole Ragans and outfielder Roni Cabrera to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Chapman.
Chapman is known as one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the majors and one of the best bullpen arms in the MLB. This season Chapman is 4-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 31 appearances with the Royals.
Chapman, 35, is a seven-time All-Star who can help boost the Rangers’ bullpen, which entered Friday ranked 24th in the majors with a 4.37 ERA and has converted only 15 of 28 save chances this season.
Overall, Chapman is 48-37 with a 2.47 ERA and 317 saves in 698 career relief appearances in 14 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (2010-2015), Chicago Cubs (2016), New York Yankees (2016-22) and Royals.
Chapman also won a World Series title with the Cubs in 2016.
Chapman was suspended for 30 games in 2019 under the MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy. Chapman was the first player suspended under the policy.
“I won’t get into specifics, but I will say we did a very extensive amount of background work,” Rangers general manager Chris Young said. “We’re very comfortable with the person and certainly the player.”
Young said he likes the way Chapman has pitched this season, bouncing back from the turmoil of the 2022 season with the Yankees.
“I think what we’re seeing is a pitcher who is really back to the way he pitched a couple of years ago,” Young said. “The fastball’s electric. He’s really, really tough to hit. We think he fits a need in our bullpen in terms of a swing and miss and being able to pitch leverage at the back of the bullpen.”
This story was originally published June 30, 2023 at 5:55 PM.
