The New York Yankees today announced that they have signed four-time All Star (2012-15) left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman to a five-year contract extending through the 2021 season with a player opt-out after the 2019 season.
Chapman, 28, combined with the Yankees and Cubs to go 4-1 with 36 saves (in 39 chances) and a 1.55 ERA (58.0IP, 32H, 12R/10ER, 18BB, 90K) in 59 relief appearances in 2016. After beginning the season serving a 30-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, he went 3-0 with 20 saves (in 21 chances), a 2.01 ERA (31.1IP, 7ER) and 44K in 31 relief appearances with the Yankees, posting a 12.64 K/9.0IP ratio and a 36.7% strikeout rate (120BF). He became the 11th pitcher in Yankees history with at least 20 saves in a season and fifth different such pitcher in the last five seasons (also Andrew Miller-36 in 2015, David Robertson-39 in 2014, Mariano Rivera-44 in 2013 and Rafael Soriano-42 in 2012).
On July 25, 2016, Chapman was traded by the Yankees to the Cubs in exchange for RHP Adam Warren, 2016 Arizona Fall League MVP SS Gleyber Torres and OFs Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford. In 28 games for the Cubs, he went 1-1 with 16 saves (in 18 chances), a 1.01 ERA (26.2IP, 3ER) and 46K. During the postseason, he went 2-0 with four saves and a 3.45 ERA (15.2IP, 6ER) in 13 relief appearances and recorded the win in the Cubs' 10-inning World Series Game 7 victory to secure the club's first championship since 1908.
According to MLB's Statcast, Chapman threw the 30 fastest pitches in the Majors in 2016, including a 105.1-mph fastball to J.J. Hardy on July 18 vs. Baltimore to match his Major League-record 105.1-mph fastball clocked by Pitch f/x on September 24, 2010 at San Diego with Cincinnati. He also posted the highest average fastball velocity in the Majors (100.9 mph), ahead of Atlanta's Mauricio Cabrera (100.6).
Over seven career Major League seasons with the Reds (2010-15), Yankees (2016) and Cubs (2016), Chapman has gone 23-21 with 182 saves, a 2.08 ERA (377.0IP, 201H, 87ER, 173BB, 636K) and 0.99 WHIP in 383 relief appearances. Since the start of his Major League career in 2010, he leads all Major League relievers with a 15.18 K/9.0IP ratio and ranks second in strikeouts, trailing only Kimbrel (646). He is the only pitcher in Major League history with four seasons of at least 30 saves and 100K, having done so each season from 2012-15. Only Eric Gagne (2002-04) and Billy Wagner (1999, 2003, '10) have had as many as three such seasons in their careers.
The Holguin, Cuba, native has more career saves than any other Cuban-born pitcher, surpassing Danys Baez's record (114) on April 10, 2015 vs. St. Louis. Chapman was originally signed by the Reds to a six-year contract on January 11, 2010, extending through the 2015 season. He was acquired by the Yankees from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RHPs Caleb Cotham and Rookie Davis and INFs Eric Jagielo and Tony Renda on December 28, 2015.
In order to make room for Chapman on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated RHP Nick Goody for assignment.