What made Andrew Chafin return to Detroit Tigers? Plus more MLB winter meetings fallout

Andrew Chafin is going to be closer to home in 2024.

Chafin, a left-handed reliever in the season and a farmer in the offseason, thought he was making the best business decision when he declined his $6.5 million player option after the 2022 season. He left the Detroit Tigers because he assumed a lucrative multi-year contract awaited him in free agency. A multi-year offer never showed up, and just before the start of spring training, he had to settle for a one-year contract from the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2023 season. It was a frustrating season for reasons beyond poor performance, and Chafin wished he would have stayed with the Tigers.

The winter meetings were quiet until the New York Yankees traded for Juan Soto on the fourth and final day, but in the evening on the third day, the Tigers quietly began working toward a reunion with Chafin. The talks progressed immediately, and although the winter meetings ended Wednesday, offers were exchanged throughout the weekend before the two sides came to an agreement Sunday. Everything happened within about five days.

THE DEAL: Tigers sign left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin on one-year contract with club option

As a result of the negotiations, Chafin agreed to a one-year, $4.25 million contract with a $6.5 million club option (including a $500,000 buyout) for the 2025 season. The 33-year-old can earn $1.25 million in incentives in each season for appearing in 70 games. Chafin will earn at least $4.75 million, but he could make as much as $13.25 million over two seasons with the Tigers.

More importantly, Chafin will be close to his wife, two daughters, 4-month-old son and family farm outside of Massillon, Ohio. He plans to live in his RV at a campground in Michigan during the season. The campground is about 45 minutes away from Comerica Park and about 1-hour, 45 minutes away from his family in Ohio.

That's why Chafin jumped at signing with the Tigers.

In the 2023 season, Chafin posted a 4.73 ERA with 28 walks (12.5% walk rate) and 63 strikeouts (28.1% strikeout rate) over 51⅓ innings in 63 relief appearances. He pitched for the Diamondbacks until an Aug. 1 trade sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers to finish the season.

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Chafin struggled on the field, in part, because he also struggled living far away from his family. His wife, Shelbi, was pregnant. They were together during spring training in Arizona, but they were apart for several months throughout the first half of the season before the birth of their son.

He spent three days on the paternity list, from July 18-20.

The time and distance away from his wife and three young children, especially after being so close as a member of the Tigers in 2022, weighed on Chafin in Arizona last season.

The Aug. 1 trade to the Brewers cut down on the distance between Chafin and his family, but not enough that he could drive home on an off day. Phoenix to Massillon is 2,000 miles; Milwaukee to Massillon is 475 miles; Detroit to Massillon is 200 miles.

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The Tigers were Chafin's preferred destination as a free agent this offseason, and as negotiations got underway, he pushed to complete the deal as quickly as possible.

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On the field, the Tigers hope Chafin will return to his 2022 performance. That year, he logged a 2.83 ERA with 19 walks (7.8% walk rate) and 67 strikeouts (27.6% strikeout rate) over 57⅓ innings in 64 appearances out of the Tigers' bullpen.

Chafin maintained an above-average strikeout rate, swing-and-miss rate and chase rate from 2022 to 2023, but both his walk rate and ground-ball rate got significantly worse. His walk rate went from 7.8% to 12.5%, and his ground-ball rate went from 52.6% to 40.2%. Cutting down on walks and increasing ground balls should get Chafin back to his previous form.

The Tigers negotiated with Chafin last offseason, even after he declined his $6.5 million player option, but the two sides couldn't agree on the financials. Chafin waited around on the open market until mid-February, then settled for the best offer on the table.

The Diamondbacks offered a better contract than the Tigers, at one-year, $5.5 million with a $7.25 million club option (including a $750,000 buyout). The Brewers, after the trade, declined the club option and forced Chafin into free agency. He is a four-time free agent since the end of the 2020 season.

Signing with the Tigers, and correcting a mistake from last offseason, is like an early Christmas gift for the entire Chafin family.

Shōta Imanaga

A report surfaced on the second day of the winter meetings that Japanese left-hander Shōta Imanaga had multi-year offers from 10 teams, with some of the offers around $100 million. The report about Imanaga is almost completely inaccurate, according to a source with knowledge of his market.

Imanaga, 30, has received interest from at least 10 teams, but he didn't have any offers on the table at the winter meetings. His market is expected to gain momentum once Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto — more coveted than Imanaga because of his performance and age — signs his lucrative contract, possibly joining the high-spending New York Mets, New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers. The market for Yamamoto is about to pick up speed now that Shohei Ohtani has agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.

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The Tigers are one of the 10 teams with some interest in Imanaga, but the level of interest is unclear. It's also unknown if Imanaga is interested in joining the Tigers.

Imanaga, who pitched for the Yokohama Bay Stars in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, registered a 2.66 ERA with 24 walks (3.8% walk rate) and 188 strikeouts (29.5% strikeout rate) over 159 innings in 24 starts last season. The southpaw throws a 92 mph fastball with elite vertical movement and a mid-80s splitter.

He is praised for having above-average command.

The signing deadline for Imanaga is Jan. 11, but assuming Yamamoto signs within the next couple of weeks, the second-best Japanese pitcher could agree to a deal before the New Year.

Another note from Japan

Right-hander Rōki Sasaki, a 22-year-old phenom who throws a 103 mph fastball and has the potential to be better than Yamamoto, asked the Chiba Lotte Marines to post him, according to Yahoo! Japan.

He posted a 1.78 ERA with 17 walks and 135 strikeouts across 91 innings in 15 starts last season.

The Marines are expected to deny the request, but not if Sasaki has an Ohtani-like clause in his contract with the Marines. Ohtani had a clause in his contract with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters that allowed him to leave Japan at any point. He was officially posted in late November 2017, and by early December, a 23-year-old Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels for a $2.315 million bonus as part of the international signing period.

Sasaki "is thought to also have that clause in his deal with Chiba Lotte," according a Nov. 6 report from Jorge Castillo and Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times.

Ohtani, now 29, was subject to international signing rules — unlike Yamamoto and Imanaga — when he joined the Angels because of his age and experience, making him a cheap addition compared to his true value. The same would be the case for the Sasaki because he isn't age 25 and hasn't played in Japan's NPB for at least six years.

Players must be posted before Dec. 15 to open the 45-day signing window.

The one that got away?

The Tigers showed some interest in both right-hander Luis Severino and left-hander Wade Miley earlier in the offseason. Both pitchers signed short-term contracts elsewhere: Severino to the Mets for one-year, $13 million; Miley to the Brewers for one-year, $7 million with a 2025 mutual option.

The Tigers had a little bit of interest in Miley but made "a very competitive offer" to Severino, according to sources. Severino had interest in the Tigers, as well, because he believed the Tigers could help him improve as a pitcher.

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Severino, though, picked the Mets because of his relationship with Carlos Mendoza, whom New York hired as its manager in mid-November. Before joining the Mets, Mendoza spent six seasons on the New York Yankees' coaching staff. He served as the bench coach over the past five seasons.

Severino, 29, pitched for the Yankees from 2015-23 and has struggled with injuries since 2019. He had a 6.65 ERA with 34 walks and 79 strikeouts across 89⅓ innings in 19 games (18 starts) last season.

Trade market

One source from a rival front office believes the Tigers will consider trade offers for anyone on their pitching staff in exchange for position players, specifically long-term solutions.

The Tigers already signed Kenta Maeda to a two-year, $24 million contract, but the Tigers have discussed acquiring another pitcher for the rotation. Signing another big-league starter would create a surplus, which could motivate the Tigers to trade for an impact bat.

It's unclear if the Tigers are actively shopping any pitchers.

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I don't like writing about trade ideas, but to help promote the Days of Roar podcast, here is a hypothetical trade that I mentioned on the podcast earlier in the offseason: Tigers right-hander Matt Manning (and outfielder Akil Baddoo, if necessary) for Cincinnati Reds shortstop Edwin Arroyo and catcher Logan Tanner. Manning has four years of team control remaining, while Arroyo and Tanner haven't made their MLB debuts.

Arroyo, a switch-hitting shortstop, hit .252 with 13 home runs, 49 walks and 118 strikeouts over 123 games in High-A Dayton (119 games) and Double-A Chattanooga (four games) last season. The 20-year-old would serve as shortstop insurance if the Tigers need to part ways with Javier Báez in the next couple of years.

Tanner, a right-handed hitting catcher, hit .202 with two homers, 34 walks and 65 strikeouts over 65 games in Low-A Daytona last season. The 23-year-old is a defense-first catcher with a strong throwing arm to shut down the running game.

The Reds need starting pitching and have an infield surplus (after signing third baseman Jeimer Candelario to a three-year, $45 million contract). Meanwhile, the Tigers need long-term position players and could have a starting pitching surplus. The two teams match up well on paper, but there aren't any signs that the Tigers and Reds have discussed a trade this offseason.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers-Andrew Chafin reunion, plus more possible moves, deals