TAMPA — Aaron Boone recently broached pitching the eighth inning on some occasions to Aroldis Chapman.
The scenarios won’t occur often, but the Yankee manager wanted to see if his closer would be amenable. Namely, if save situations do not arise for a stretch, Boone wants to avoid long layoffs for Chapman that tend to impair his sharpness. Boone sees getting him into the eighth inning of a tight game as preferable to using Chapman in low-adrenaline blowouts or having the lefty throw a postgame bullpen session just to get work.
So, if it has been a few days without use, Boone intends to search for spots. The most common would be on the road with the team, say, down a run. The idea would be a save of a different type, to preserve a one-run differential for the Yanks to try to make up when they bat in the ninth inning. If they don’t, there is no bottom of the ninth anyway.
This may be more common if the opponent has a few lefty hitters due in the bottom of the eighth, especially with southpaw setup man Zack Britton (Tommy John surgery) not around. In addition, if the Yankees are facing a righty-heavy lineup the next day, like say that of the Blue Jays, Boone might want to conserve righty arms such as Chad Green, Clay Holmes and Jonathan Loaisiga for the subsequent game. That would be a place to deploy Chapman.
“It will serve him well at times and protect other guys at times,” Boone said. “It will help us as a staff and keep Aroldis more regular rather than let him get to five, six days without pitching.”
Through an interpreter, Chapman said, “We talked and I don’t see any issues with it because at the end of the day it gives me consistency.”
Not long ago, a closer facing free agency with a Cooperstown case would not willingly agree to work even occasionally in a non-save capacity. But modern front offices value effectiveness and impact out of relievers rather than saves. I believe that Hall of Fame voters are evolving similarly.
You just read a paragraph about Chapman and the Hall and perhaps chuckled or grimaced. Did you have the same reaction when Billy Wagner showed up on the Hall ballot? How about on July 18, 2006, when while pitching for the Mets, Wagner appeared in his 624th game?
Chapman begins the 2022 season at 624 games, and if you haven’t noticed he is essentially having Wagner’s career, down to being the preeminent lefty fireballing reliever of his era and owning a bunch of high-profile postseason blowups. Their stats for that period are clone-ish. If you want to begin with saves, Chapman has 306 and an 89 percent conversion rate, Wagner had 302/86 percent through 624 games.
Chapman’s slash line against is .163/.251/.272; Wagner’s was .184/.263/.294 (all stats through 624 regular-season games, thanks to MLB Network research for the help). Chapman’s ERA is 2.36; Wagner’s was 2.41. Chapman has struck out 41.1 percent of those he has faced; Wagner was at 33.3 percent, but in a lot less strikeout-heavy era.
“At the end of it all, like I don’t get to vote,” Chapman said. “You know, what I can do is just try to play as long as I can and put the best numbers up as I can and then, you know, when everything comes to an end, I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.”
Wagner finished with 853 appearances and was effective to the end. He received 10.5 percent of the Hall vote in his first year of eligibility, but was at 51 percent in his seventh and has been trending steadily upward (75 percent is needed for induction). So Chapman needs several more impact seasons to get on the serious radar. Also, Chapman has not separated himself from Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel, the other relievers with longevity and excellence from this era. All came up in 2010 and their stats are similar, too.
Jansen just went through free agency and left his career-long Dodgers for a one-year, $16 million deal with the Braves. The White Sox picked up Kimbrel’s $16 million 2022 option with the intention to trade him, but have yet to find a deal. All three will be free agents after this season, with Chapman concluding a three-year pact that, yep, pays him $16 million annually. Chapman, Britton and Green all are due to be free agents after the season — will the team think Loaisiga is ready for the ninth inning in 2023?
Here’s another very 2023 question: Will Chapman’s free agency be hurt if MLB, as expected, puts in a pitch clock next year (at Triple-A this year, a pitch has to be delivered in 14 seconds with no one on, 19 seconds with runners on base)? Of the 648 pitchers who threw at least 100 qualified pitches in 2021 tracked by Statcast, Chapman’s 28.2 seconds between pitches was the third slowest. But he said it is a non-issue and will adapt, if necessary. For Chapman, who turned 34 last month, the key to everything is staying off the injured list and around the Yanks — his strength and athleticism are renowned. If Chapman were born in Texas, say, rather than Cuba, you can imagine him playing outside linebacker on Sundays — and if anything he is more jacked this year.
“I don’t feel pressure [about free agency],” Chapman said. “Priority number one is staying healthy. That’s why I work so hard if you see the workouts — to stay in the field and continue pitching.”
He has Hall the reasons in the world to extend his career.
By the numbers
How Aroldis Chapman’s stats stack up against Billy Wagner’s through the first 624 games of their careers (via MLB Network research):
Chapman
IP – 603.2
ERA – 2.36
WHIP – 1.05
Slash line – .163/.272/.251
Saves – 306
Save percentage – 89.0
Strikeout percentage – 41.1
Walk percentage – 11.9
Wagner
IP – 673
ERA – 2.41
WHIP – 1.00
Slash line – .184/.263/.294
Saves – 302
Save percentage – 86.0
Strikeout percentage – 33.3
Walk percentage – 8.8
ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3N7j2xma2xfrq6vt8SeqmaonJa7bsDOZpilrJWneqK%2BzqWboqtdmLWivMyapaxlpaiuqLGMmqpmoJViuqK3xKxkoaeWYrCiv8Ro