Rangers Acquire Andrew Chafin From Tigers

July 30, 2024

The Texas Rangers are finalizing a trade with the Detroit Tigers to acquire lefty reliever Andrew Chafin. The particulars of the deal are in place, pending the results of physicals for everyone involved, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic adds. Pitching prospects Joseph Montalvo and Chase Lee are heading to the Tigers in the deal, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

What Chafin Brings to the Rangers

Andrew Chafin is having another good season. He’s pitched 37 innings with a 3.16 ERA, a 30.9% strikeout rate, a 9.9% walk rate, and a 35.8% grounder rate. He’s been particularly dominant of late. He has rattled off 17 innings of one-run ball with a 26-to-5 K/BB ratio dating back to early June. That 35.8% grounder rate is an uncharacteristically low mark for Chafin, who’s changed up his pitch usage this year. He’s throwing more sliders than ever before (46.4%) and missing more bats as a result but also yielding more balls in the air and a few more walks than in recent years.

His velocity has declined from its 93-94 mph peak, however, sitting around 92 mph on average this year with both his four-seamer and sinker. It’s possible the change in repertoire was due to the diminishing life on those harder offerings. Regardless, it’s been an effective recipe for the well-traveled southpaw, who’ll now suit up for the sixth team of his 11-year career.

Contract Year for Chafin

Andrew Chafin is playing on a one-year contract worth $4.75 million. The Rangers are picking up another year of possible control over him in the form of a 2025 club option valued at $6.5 million. He’s owed about $1.42 million of his $4.25 million base salary. Chafin has a handful of incentives approaching that could boost the value of that contract.

Chafin would earn a $125,000 bonus for pitching in his 50th game before taking home $250,000 in bonuses for reaching 55 and 60 games. He would earn a $300K bonus for 65 games and a $325K bonus for reaching 70 appearances. He has pitched in 41 games to date. The last of those milestones could be hard to reach. The Rangers will be on the hook for some additional incentives of note. All of that will come with a 30% tax given their luxury-tax status.