Andrew Chafin: The Detroit Tigers’ new “power shagger.”
The mustachioed lefty is not only a free-spirited presence in the clubhouse but he was one of the top available relief pitchers this offseason. And the Tigers inked him Wednesday to a two-year deal worth $13 million.
Chafin got the nice payday and extra year on his contract — instead of the one-year deals that have become commonplace for veteran bullpen arms — because of a strong 2021 season with the Chicago Cubs and Oakland A’s last year.
But there’s more to the man than that striking ’70s-style lip hair. Let’s dig deeper:
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Who is Andrew Chafin?
Chafin is a 6-foot-2, 235-pound pitcher who was drafted No. 43 overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of Kent State in 2011. The native Ohioan made three short, but not horrendous, starts in 2014 before moving permanently to the bullpen in 2015.
He pitched seven years for the D’backs, compiling a 3.68 ERA in 271 2/3 innings pitched (337 appearances).
After a 2.76 ERA in 66 games during his first full season, Chafin was never able to match that performance in Arizona. He was struggling in 2020 (allowed six earned runs in 6 2/3 innings) when he was dealt to Chicago in August for a player to be named. He re-signed with the Cubs in February 2021 after a successful second-half stint.
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Why do the Tigers want him?
There wasn’t much to celebrate during the Cubs past season — I should know, I’ve watched about 140 of their games every year since I could climb onto a couch.
The 2021 Cubs lost a lot, didn’t agree to extensions with the stars of the 2016 World Series and then traded said stars.
But at least there was Andrew Chafin.
Along with his visibly light-hearted vibes, per the Chicago Tribune, Chafin lit up lefties. He had a 2.06 ERA and 37 strikeouts over 39.1 innings with the Cubs. He gave up just one home run and walked 12 batters in that span, with an average of 4.8 hits allowed per nine innings.
Chafin isn’t a one-trick pony either: While he dominated lefties to the tune of a .170 batting average, righties hit just .196 against him last season.
He was so good for the Cubs, Chicago was able to deal him to the A’s at the 2021 trade deadline for two minor-leaguers as part of their descent into rebuilding mode.
Then, in 28 games (29.1 innings) for Oakland, he had 27 strikeouts and a 1.53 ERA.
Chafin was so good for the A’s, he made ESPN’s list of top 50 available free agents this offseason, at No. 36. The Tigers’ bullpen is light on left-handed options and had a 4.50 ERA last season, ranking 22nd in MLB.
He figures right into the Tigers’ late-innings situation and could become the go-to lefty, alongside Gregory Soto, in the seventh or eighth inning.
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He’s what one writer calls a ‘power shagger’
Fans don’t usually show up to batting practice to watch the guys standing in the outfield, but there’s something to see when Chafin is out there.
According to the Tribune, the burly lefty spends his pregame sprinting through the grass to track down fly balls. He even robbed then-teammate Ian Happ of a BP home run at spacious Petco Park in San Diego (with the first half of the season Happ had, maybe Chafin should have left the former top-10 draft pick have that one).
Chafin, who goes by “Big Country” and “The Sheriff,” then posted the clip to social media.
A nice example of his athleticism, but the Tigers might ask him to refrain from banging into outfield walls.
Cubs manager David Ross said last season he got a kick out of Chafin’s energy, leadership and look. Chafin has a YouTube channel that delves into his love of cars, boats and farming.
“He is a unique human being that I think brings a smile to a lot of people’s faces,” Ross said Saturday. “Just the way he interacts, who he is to his core. … (Chafin shows) how (younger pitchers) need to act, how to get ready, trying to direct these guys on what it’s like to be a bullpen pitcher, what it’s like to be available daily, find your routine.”
Follow the Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for more news. Tyler Davis can be contacted at tjdavis@freepress.com or on Twitter @TDavisFreep.
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