It is not Tanner Scott, but the Boston Red Sox have addressed the back of the bullpen. Per Jeff Passan, the Red Sox have signed Aroldis Chapman to a one year contract and for $10.75 million. Pending a physical, Chapman is shipping up to Boston.

With the losses of Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin, the Red Sox needed back of the bullpen arms in the worst way possible. Well, they got Chapman, which should leave fans with a mixed feeling of emotions.

What Chapman Brings to the Table

Chapman has pitched a lot of innings in his career and has also been known to close games. However, in recent years he has been more of the set up guy and a reliable option in the back of the bullpen. Chapman pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, finishing with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Also, his 61.2 innings was the most he’s pitched in the last three seasons. There are things he does that is enticing to the Red Sox and makes him the type of pitcher they’ve been coveting.

Chapman packs a punch and ranks in the 98th percentile in fastball velocity. He is not shy to blowing the ball by you and getting you to whiff. He is 91st percentile in whiff percentage and finished in the 99th percentile for strikeout percentage.

Chapman brings four pitches into his arsenal. He will blow by you with the four seam fastball and the sinker, but put you away with the slider or the split finger. There are definitely tools in the shed and there’s still good enough baseball left in the tank. But what does it mean for the overall outlook?

How Chapman Fits

With the losses of Jansen and Martin, the Red Sox need back of the bullpen arms. Justin Slaten showed tremendous promise and could pitch in high leverage situations. There is certainly a chance he can close out games for the Red Sox in 2025. Liam Hendriks is also in the mix, but tabbing him as the closer right away is not fair to a player that’s missed a significant chunk of time. However, he is a reliable back of the arm reliever, so having him is a nice thing. So, enter Chapman.

Chapman should not close games for the Red Sox, but can if they need him to. Chapman did record 14 saves, but has had 30+ saves in nine seasons in his career. He now gives the Red Sox a back of the bullpen arm that they need.

The Red Sox could also use stability in the bullpen. The bullpen was spotty and blew more games than I could count, especially in the second half. Overall, the Red Sox finished with 106 meltdowns (2nd most) and has the most meltdowns after the All-Star break. Chapman is one guy that can help, but they’ll obviously need more.

Is it the best move for a reliever? Not sure. Is it the worst? No, but time will tell how he delivers and performs in the Andrew Bailey laboratory.