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.