Aroldis Chapman has been lights out for the Boston Red Sox. Over the last two seasons, he has a 1.51 ERA while striking out 34% of the hitters he's faced in 101 innings per StatMuse. In his one-plus seasons in Boston, he has locked down the ninth inning, but his last two outings have shown some kink in the armor.
Carlos Narvaez trade may be cause of Aroldis Chapman's rocky outings
After winning the American League Reliever of the Month for July, having converted 10-10 save opportunities to go along with a 0.75 ERA, Chapman's August has been off to a rocky start, with a 6.00 ERA in three appearances.
One reason for this dip in production could be the MLB Trade Deadline blockbuster that sent three top-five prospects and starting catcher Carlos Narvaez to the division-rival Baltimore Orioles in exchange for three-time All-Star Adley Rutschman and Jake Rogers. While Rutschman's decorated resume speaks for itself, Narvaez had built a familiarity with the flamethrowing left-hander.
In 75 games, Chapman has a 1.16 ERA, striking out 35.1% of batters faced and walking 7.4%. For comparison, in the 49 games backup catcher Connor Wong has caught for him, Chapman has a 1.94 ERA with a 10.2 BB%, per StatMuse.
There's still a ton of opportunities for Aroldis Chapman to find his groove
While the Chapman-Rogers tandem is off to a bad start, it has only been a few games, and it may take time for the two to understand the other's tendencies around pitch selection/location and things of the sort. In addition, with Rutschman's return imminent, at some point hopefully this week in Toronto, Boston should get their all-star, middle-of-the-order catcher back from injury any day, which will provide additional protection to the trio of Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Wilson Contreras.
I highly doubt that Boston will keep three catchers on its roster once Rutschman returns from the IL. As a result, the team will likely use Wong's remaining minor-league option and send him down to Triple-A Worcester.
The Chapman-Narvaez connection is clear. But with the addition of Rutschman, Boston made a clear upgrade by adding a premier catcher when healthy, who could be the missing piece this offense needs for the remainder of this season and next.
The numbers make it undeniable: Chapman has been simply a different, far more lethal weapon with Narvaez calling the game. And Boston's coaching staff must figure out a way to replicate the same framing and sequence trust with Rutschman and Rogers.
As the American League pennant race heats up as the season comes to a close, every ninth-inning out is magnified, and for Chapman, finding the rhythm he had with Narvaez could be the difference between him remaining as a shutdown closer or a tightrope walk.
Add us as a preferred source on Google