Red Sox, Aroldis Chapman agree to 1-year contract extension

The Boston Red Sox announced on Sunday that they’ve reached an agreement with Aroldis Chapman on a contract extension that will keep the 37-year-old closer on the team for the 2026 season. The pact will guarantee him $13.3 million next season and includes a vesting option for 2027 based on innings pitched, according to a league source.

Since signing a one-year, $10.75 million contract with Boston in December, Chapman has had one of his best seasons of his 16-year career, with a 1.04 ERA and 1.83 FIP. He was named an All-Star for the eighth time, and his WHIP (0.67) is the lowest of his career during a season when he has produced 3.2 wins above replacement per Baseball Reference, the highest mark since his 2012 season with the Cincinnati Reds.

Chapman has been a Baseball Savant darling this season: He’s in the 100th percentile in expected ERA (1.97), expected batting average (.167) and strikeout rate (38.7 percent). He has also cut his walk rate to 7.3 percent, which is about half of what it was in each of his prior four seasons.

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