Matt Clement, who won 87 games as a big-league pitcher, came up with an enticing idea last week when he joined Bob Pompeani and myself for his weekly radio hit on 93.7 The Fan: Bring back Aroldis Chapman.
The Pirates bullpen hasn’t been as bad as some claim. But kind of like the team, it hasn’t been great, either. It needs an upgrade.
It needs a hammer.
That would be Chapman, the 38-year-old Boston Red Sox closer who is off to a sizzling start. Trade rumors already are swirling, because the Red Sox are off to such a rotten start at 17-23. The Cubs and Diamondbacks are among the teams mentioned.
Why not the Pirates?
Chapman is 8 for 8 in save opportunities with a 0.79 earned-run average. He still throws laser beams. He hardly ever walks anyone anymore, either.
“We’re kind of dreaming a dream here, a couple of months ahead of time,” Clement said. “But you can see him walking in — the electric atmosphere, having somebody like him coming in, throwing 101 mph, adding some cool walk-in music? That could be like a rallying cry.
“It’s downright amazing the way he still throws. You saw him strike out Yordan Alvarez the other day, maybe the best hitter in baseball this season, like it was nothing.”
The Red Sox could rebound, of course, but if they don’t, Chapman figures to hit the block. The Pirates, assuming they stay on a high-80s win pace, should be all over him.
I’d start inquiring soon, armed with a couple of top-10 prospects as bait. FanSided’s Christopher Kline predicted Chapman will be one of four Red Sox pitchers dealt this season, writing that they have “other talented relievers ready to step into high-leverage situations.”
Kline’s proposed trade would have the Cubs send their No. 6 and 8 prospects to the Red Sox. That sounds more than doable for the Pirates. They’d be responsible for the prorated portion of Chapman’s $13 million salary, plus $13 million next year if Chapman pitches at least 40 innings, according to ESPN.
Gregory Soto has been lights out for the Pirates, but Dennis Santana has nearly as many walks as strikeouts, and others have been volatile, to say the least.
Still, the Pirates are 17-3 when they lead after six innings, 18-2 when they lead after seven and 18-1 when they lead after eight, so it’s not like the place is on fire. But they just blew another extra-inning game — including a pair of two-run leads. They could use a jolt.
Who better than Aroldis Chapman to provide one?