Last season, the Boston Red Sox agreed to an extension with Aroldis Chapman, keeping him off the open market.
Chapman's deal paid him $13 million for this season and had a conditional mutual option for next season. He is 1/3 of an inning away from reaching the 40-inning threshold for his contract to be guaranteed next year. He will also have to pass a physical. He will make another $13 million next season in Boston.
Chapman was the American League Reliever of the Year last year and could have potentially made more in free agency. His age would prevent him from getting a deal like Edwin Díaz's three-year, $69 million deal, but he certainly could have made a little more on the open market.
"At this stage of my career, I’m very comfortable here and happy here,” Chapman said recently, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “At this stage, I’d rather have that than (to go) somewhere else for more money where I might not be comfortable, or I might be comfortable. I didn’t want to test that and I wanted to stay here for two years.”
Chapman has made plenty of money and has nothing left to prove. He is pitching because that's what he wants to do, and he would rather do it on a team and in a city where he is happy. He was a hot name in trade rumors before the Red Sox ripped off 15 straight wins and set themselves up as buyers at the trade deadline.
Chapman was an All-Star again this year, and if he continues to pitch as he has in the last two years, there is no reason to believe he won't be an All-Star again next year. If he is, the Red Sox may need to start thinking about another extension. The good news is, Chapman wants to be in Boston.