Last season, our old friend Andrew Chafin tossed 56.1 quality innings between the Tigers and Rangers, earning a 3.51 ERA on the strength of an excellent 28.5% strikeout rate and a very solid 6.3% barrel%. So entering the offseason as a free agent, he probably felt pretty good about his chances to land a quality big-league deal. And yet, he was just forced to settle for a minor league deal with the Tigers. What gives?
Andrew Chafin to the Tigers
Well, there’s at least one caveat to the news that we’ll have to consider here, and that’s the assumed under-the-table promise:
The Tigers have signed LHP Andrew Chafin to a Minor League contract. He will join Major League spring training as a non-roster invitee. pic.twitter.com/LiaCbQ8F8s
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) February 24, 2025At this point, here at the outset of spring training, most 40-man rosters are full to the brim. And that means that adding new players – even guys you’d normally sign to a big league deal – could squeeze out other useful pieces on whom you’re not yet ready to make a decision. So although Andrew Chafin is technically getting a minor league deal from the Tigers, it was safe to assume that he was promised a spot on the big league roster with a meaningful salary once he’s added.
And, indeed, that does seem to be the case:
Andrew Chafin's minor league contact with the #Tigers is worth $2.5 million if he's in MLB (with $1.5 million in incentives and a $250,000 assignment bonus), per source. t.co/QKJpT1EtbL
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) February 24, 2025So this would all be, in short, a way for the Tigers to preserve roster flexibility to evaluate other options until the deadline(s) come to pass. And after that, he’ll be added to the roster and make a minimum of $2.5M (but up to $4M). Still not ideal though, and certainly not what I expected even as recently as a week ago.
In fact, I was very recently making the case that reuniting with Andrew Chafin could prove useful for a Cubs team that could still use another lefty relief option. And I had a moderately pricier deal in mind.
After losing Rob Zastryzny, the Cubs lefty reliever group is sorely lacking:
Caleb Thielbar (big league deal, 38-year-old veteran, no options, locked in if healthy)
– Luke Little (40-man, returning from injury and currently delayed in his ramp-up, not yet established, options remaining)
– Brandon Hughes (non-roster invite, minor league deal, TBD what results and health will look like)
– Riley Martin (non-roster invite, relief prospect, potential big league up-down future, not established)
It basically all hinges on 38-year-old Caleb Thielbar, who posted a 5.32 ERA last season (he’s a great deal better against lefties, but still).
Chafin, then, would be both another quality option vs left-handed hitters (3.21 FIP, 31.4K% vs LHH last season), as well as another quality reliever overall. He wouldn’t be as far up the depth chart as, say, Robertson, but the lefty angle is potentially critical. And he’ll cost less to sign.
Alas, the Cubs were not willing to guarantee him $2.5M (or he just really wanted to return to the Tigers? Maybe he sees a more direct path to innings there?), and will therefore have to roll with the options they’ve got in house. I still think they should try to sign free agent reliever – and another old friend – David Robertson, but we haven’t heard anything on that in weeks.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Tigers Sign Andrew Chafin … On a Minor League Deal? I’ll Explain )
Also on site :
- Arsenal Sets Sights on Prolific Striker Gyökeres for Upcoming Season
- New details on Kristaps Porzingis’ mystery illness with Celtics future uncertain
- Jofra Archer copies Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling action during Rajasthan Royals' IPL 2025 training [Watch]