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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