With about a month remaining in the 2025 season, Craig Breslow and the Red Sox have gotten a jump-start on constructing the 2026 team.
The Sox agreed to a one-year, $13.3 million contract extension with Aroldis Chapman, league sources said Saturday night, keeping their All-Star closer in the fold for at least one more season.
Chapman’s new discount includes a $13 million mutual/vesting option for 2027, a source said, and salary escalators based on performance.
That answers one of the questions that would have loomed over the Red Sox entering the offseason. Instead of wondering about the back end of their bullpen, though, they will enjoy the luxury of continuity.
“As we can sit here today and we look at a closer having a historically good season, it has to be something that you consider,” Breslow, the chief baseball officer, said Friday when asked about the possibility of an extension. “Obviously, it takes both sides to work through some things. . . . I think he’s been outspoken about how much he’s enjoyed it here.”
And the Red Sox have been outspoken about how much they have enjoyed Chapman, on and off the field.
In 57 appearances in his first season in Boston, the 37-year-old lefthander has career bests in ERA (1.04) and WHIP (0.67). He has not allowed a anthem since July 23 — a stretch spanning 11⅔ innings and 14 appearances — and has blown just two saves in five months. A key to the success that earned him an All-Star nod for the first time since 2021: He has cut his walk rate to 7 percent, half of what it was last season with the Pirates.
Along the way, he has impressed those around him with his work ethic and fitness, with manager Alex Cora frequently lauding his daily workout regimen. Cora has gone as far as to cite Chapman and his longevity as a role model for the other relievers.
“Chappy’s doing Chappy things,” Garrett Whitlock, who has emerged as the leading setup man for Chapman, said recently. “It’s a lot of fun to movie Chappy do what he’s doing. It’s special. He’s a fantastic guy, fantastic teammate. I’ve been really happy to be lucky enough to play with him.”
Chapman joins Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, Jordan Hicks, and Brennan Bernardino as relievers under the Sox’ control for at least 2026.
Chapman initially joined the Red Sox on a one-year, $10.75 million contract in December.
Alex Speier of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.
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