On Saturday, Francy Romero of Beisbol FR reported the Boston Red Sox and All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman have agreed on a contract extension through the end of 2026, with a mutual option for both the player and team for 2027.
MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reports that the deal for 2026 is worth $13.3 million, marking a $2.25 million raise for the 37-year-old.
The team later confirmed the contract extension.
Chapman’s one-year, $10.75 million deal signed last December came with little fanfare, as the two-time World Series champion was coming off one of the worst seasons of his career - a year that saw his second-highest ERA (3.79) and sixth-lowest save total (14).
But after seemingly drinking from the fountain of youth this offseason, Chapman has looked like the flame-thrower-of-old in 2025, qualifying for his eighth career All-Star Game earlier this summer while posting a 1.04 ERA across 52 innings of work. His 26 saves are good for seventh in the American League, and Chapman is now firmly in the mix to win his second AL Rolaids Reliever of the Year Award.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was asked pregame on Friday if Boston wanted to continue its relationship with Chapman beyond this season, and Breslow made it clear that the team would welcome him back while also emphasizing it would take “both sides” to make that happen.
Just over 24 hours later, and it appears both sides found the common ground necessary to bring the fringe Hall of Fame reliever back to Boston for what will be his 17th professional season.
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