Andrew Chafin Returns to Diamondbacks

Andrew Chafin
Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images

Andrew Chafin is returning to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They have agreed to a one-year deal in the $6.5 million range, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. There are incentives added in that could bring the deal to $7.5 million. This will be a reunion for the left-handed pitcher who spent his first six seasons and change with the team before being traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2020.

Declines Option

Andrew Chafin became a free agent for the third consecutive offseason after declining his option for 2023. This came as a surprise to the Detroit Tigers who expected him to be their main lefty out of the bullpen, and help stabilize and mentor some of the other relievers.

Immediate Help

Chafin will be assured a spot on the Opening Day roster. Look for him to provide immediate help, as once again they will have many new faces in their bullpen. He can be that stabilizing, and mentoring force for the Diamondbacks. Last season the team had the sixth-worst bullpen with a 4.58 ERA, and a mere 33 saves. They ranked last in the majors with 478 strikeouts as a collective bullpen unit.

Spring Training 2023

Arizona heads into spring training with plenty of competition for bullpen jobs. They have signed Miguel Castro and Scott McGough to major league contracts. They also brought in experienced arms on minor league deals in Austin Brice, Sam Clay, Jeurys Familia, Jandel Gustave, Zach McAllister, and Cole Sulser.

Late Innings

Andrew Chafin possesses an impactful demeanor, and always makes himself available to pitch. He has shown not to back down from taking the ball, regardless of the situation could be a late-inning reliever to pair with another left-hander in Joe Mantiply.

Outlook

The outlook for Chafin and the Diamondbacks on a good signing will be if he pitches well. It will also be interesting to see if he repeats his numbers of 2022. That is when opposing hitters hit only .085, with a low .127 slugging percentage against his slider.  If the bullpen with Chafin can become a factor, and performs well, they could be that surprise team in the playoffs for 2023.

 

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James Marshall

James Marshall

Jim Marshall has lived in Phoenix, AZ for 50 years. He is an avid baseball fan, but enjoys all of Arizona's local sports teams, including Diamondbacks, Suns, Cardinals and Coyotes. In addition to the four major sports, he closely follows the Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Rattlers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Jim's passion for baseball continues beyond the field as he is an avid collector of baseball memorabilia. His favorite athlete of all time is Baseball Hall of Fame member Harmon Killebrew. In addition to watching, reading and talking about sports, he takes time to travel and appreciate the great state of Arizona with his lovely wife, Patti.

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