The Texas Rangers are adding another arm to their bullpen. The Rangers and Detroit Tigers are finalizing a trade for left-hander Andrew Chafin from Detroit to Texas, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Chafin has been one of Detriot’s top bullpen arms this season, posting a 3.16 ERA in 37 innings with 50 strikeouts. Chafin will join a right-handed heavy bullpen in Texas and could be used as a setup man for closer Kirby Yates.
The return for Chafin is not yet known.
Tigers Trade Andrew Chafin to Rangers
Chafin, 34, signed with the Tigers last offseason, reuniting with his 2022 club and coaching staff. This marks the fourth time in the last five years that Chafin has been dealt around the trade deadline. His solid season comes with a strong 30.9 percent strikeout rate, a 9.9 percent walk rate and a 35.8 percent ground ball rate. Chafin is playing on a one-year, $4.75 million contract, although the Rangers picking up another year of possible control over him for a 2025 club option.
For the Rangers, they sit 3 1/2 games back in the division. They needed a left-handed reliever for most of the season with Brock Burke being ineffective. Chafin joins Yates, David Robertson, Josh Sborz and Jose Leclerc in what is looking like a good bullpen for Texas. Chafin held left-handed hitters to a .180/.261/.213 batting line this season. Right-handed hitters are more successful at .293/.366/.390. In his career, Chafin has a .234/.313/.361 line to right-handed batters. Chafin is the second Tiger on the move to the Rangers in the previous days. Texas traded for catcher Carson Kelly for two minor league prospects on Sunday. Kelly, 30, hit .240/.325/.391 with seven home runs and 29 RBI in 60 games for the Tigers.
The trade for Chafin shows that yesterday’s trade of Michael Lorenzen to the Kansas City Royals was not about selling. Instead, it’s opening space for the eventual return of Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle.
