Chafin reunites with D-backs on 1-year deal
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Left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin and the D-backs have agreed to a one-year deal for 2023 with a club option for '24, the club announced on Wednesday. In a corresponding move, Arizona designated lefty Tyler Holton for assignment.
Chafin was a free agent for the third straight offseason after opting out of the final year on his two-year, $13 million deal with the Tigers. He posted a 2.83 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings over 64 appearances for Detroit in 2022.
Typically handling a heavy workload out of the bullpen, the southpaw reliever leads all pitchers with 375 appearances since the beginning of 2017, recording a 140 ERA+ in that span.
Selected 43rd overall in the 2011 MLB Draft by the D-backs, Chafin appeared in parts of seven seasons with Arizona to start his career but has bounced around over the past three seasons, pitching for the Cubs, A¡¯s and Tigers in addition to Arizona.
Chafin doesn¡¯t throw particularly hard, but he features a nasty slider that limited opponents to a .085 average and .127 slugging percentage over 78 PAs last season. His 60.4% whiff rate on sliders was the second-highest mark any pitcher induced with any pitch type (min. 100 swings against that pitch type).
Although he¡¯s been better against left-handed batters during his career, Chafin is also highly effective against right-handed hitters. He held righty batters to a .586 OPS over 138 plate appearances in 2022, compared to a .665 OPS in 105 PAs against lefty batters.