This MLB pitcher wants $25,615 for every pitch he throws
Aroldis Chapman — widely considered one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball — is looking to cash in on his elite status.
After winning a World Series with the Chicago Cubs, Chapman is a free agent. He tops a particularly bountiful free agent market for relief pitchers this offseason. Naturally, he's wants top dollar. Early reports say Chapman is asking for a $100 million deal.
That's a lot of cash, even for someone who regularly throws 100-mph fastballs. But just how much is $100 million?
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Let's take a look.
Many are comparing a potential Chapman contract to the one former elite reliever Jonathan Papelbon signed in 2011. That was four years and $50 million.
So let's assume Chapman gets that $100-million deal he's after, and let's assume it's also a four-year deal. That's $25 million a year, an undoubtedly high price tag, but pretty much par for the course when it comes to elite free agents.
But here's the thing.
Aroldis Chapman is a closer, meaning he usually pitches one inning at the end of games. Good closers are an insurance policy — hand them the ball in the ninth inning and consider the game won.
How much would Chapman make in a typical day's work? Let's see.
Fangraphs projects Chapman will pitch about 65 innings in 2017. Scatter his annual salary — $25 million — over 65 innings and you get $384,615. That's just short of what the president makes per year.
Let's take it a step further.
Chapman faced 222 batters in 2016. That's about $112,613 per batter.
Still not satisfied?
Chapman tossed 976 pitches this year. So if the tall left-hander gets the contract he demands, he'll make a cool $25,615 every time he fires a pitch in 2017.
Keep in mind Chapman blew three saves in the playoffs this year. Handing him the ball doesn't guarantee victory. If you'd like, you can also factor in Chapman's domestic violence history. He allegedly choked his girlfriend and fired eight gunshots into a garage last year.
Is that man — who only sees action 65 times in a 162-game season — worth $25,615 per pitch?
We'll know soon enough.
