DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have made a significant move in bolstering their bullpen by signing left-handed pitcher Andrew Chafin to a one-year contract valued at $4.25 million. This deal includes a club option for the 2025 season set at $6.5 million, with a $500,000 buyout clause if the option is not exercised.
In addition to the base salary, Chafin’s contract is structured with performance bonuses for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. These bonuses could potentially increase his earnings by up to $1.25 million for each season, based on the number of games he pitches. The bonuses are tiered, with rewards starting at $125,000 for 50 games pitched and escalating up to $325,000 for 70 games pitched.
Chafin, 33, re-joins the Tigers following a year split between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers. In the 2023 season, he appeared in 63 games, achieving a record of 3-4 with a personal best of eight saves and a 4.73 ERA over 51.1 innings pitched. He also racked up 63 strikeouts. Notably, Chafin demonstrated a strong finish to the season with a 1.69 ERA and eight strikeouts in 12 outings during September and October.
Prior to his 2023 stint, Chafin had a significant role with the Tigers in 2022, featuring in 64 games. He concluded that season with a 2-3 record, a 2.83 ERA, and 67 strikeouts. A standout aspect of his 2022 performance was his ability to strand inherited runners, allowing only five of 36 to score. This achievement placed him as one of only two Major League relievers that year to inherit 35 or more runners and allow five or fewer to score.
Chafin’s career-best performance came in 2021 with the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics, where he pitched a 1.83 ERA in 71 games. That season, he was ranked among the top relievers in the Major Leagues in several categories, including fifth in ERA, eighth in opponent OPS, and tenth in opponent slugging percentage.
Known for his durability, Chafin has been a consistent presence in the bullpen since 2017. He is one of only two pitchers to appear in 60 or more games in each of the last six full seasons (2017-19, 2021-23). His 438 games pitched since 2017 are the most in the Major Leagues.
Originally from Kettering, Ohio, Chafin was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2011 MLB Draft as a supplemental first-round pick. He currently resides in Navarre, Ohio, with his wife, Shelbi, and their three children.
With the addition of Chafin, the Tigers’ 40-man roster now stands at 39 players, signaling their ongoing efforts to strengthen the team for the upcoming season.
