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BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues
ROSTERED IN: 29% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: The first domino has toppled over in the 2023 MLB trade season as the Texas Rangers acquired reliever Aroldis Chapman from the Kansas City Royals, per Jeff Passan.
Chapman has returned to his elite self as Kansas City's set-up man this season. In 29-and-one-thirds innings, Chapman sports a 2.45 ERA, 1.71 FIP, and an eye-popping 43.4% strikeout rate. Chapman's sinker has ticked up a whole mile-per-hour from 100.2 in 2022 to 101.3 in 2023. Chapman has turned the page on the ill-fated 2022 season, where he held a 4.46 ERA as the Yankees closer.
Veteran reliever Will Smith has established himself as the clear-cut closer in Texas, racking up 14 saves with a 2.73 ERA. The addition of Chapman presents a challenger to Smith's role as closer, but Smith's success this season should mean that he's given the nod to close the game more often than not.
Even if Chapman isn't the closer, his strong ratios should be a valuable fantasy asset on a powerhouse Texas Rangers team. He will likely manage to scrounge together a couple of saves by the season's end, but if he supplants Smith in the closer role entirely, he becomes invaluable. With the potential to become one of the best closers in fantasy, Chapman should be added in all league sizes.
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