MLB Notebook: Red Sox extend All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, What's next for Payton Tolle?, and a look around the league

The Red Sox made sure their bullpen anchor isn’t going anywhere — at least not in the short term. On Saturday, the club agreed to a contract extension with veteran All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, keeping the flamethrower in Boston through the 2026 season with a vesting option for 2027.

The deal will be worth $13.3 million in 2026, and if the vesting option kicks in for 2027, the deal will be two years with a value of $26 million. His vesting option is based on innings pitched.

Chapman, 37, is having a career year with 26 saves in 28 opportunities, a 1.04 ERA, and a 0.673 WHIP in 57 appearances. The hard-throwing lefty has struck out 74 batters in 52 innings, has not allowed a hit in his last 14 games, and has permitted just one earned run in his last 34 appearances.

Despite his age, Chapman has shown no signs of slowing down. His fastball sits at 98.9 mph and has touched triple digits multiple times this season, reminding hitters around the league he remains an unhittable force in the ninth inning. Chapman has not only been used in the ninth; Alex Cora has used the southpaw in other high-leverage spots, trusting him to shut down opponents in key moments of the game.

With Chapman leading the Sox’ bullpen, Boston owns a 3.41 ERA (bullpen), the lowest in the American League and the third lowest in all of baseball, which is dramatically better than the 4.39 ERA the Sox’ relievers recorded in 2024 (24th in MLB).

It was first floated that the dominant lefty, who was eligible for free agency this winter, reportedly had interest in remaining with the Red Sox, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

“Word is, the Red Sox would like to bring back Chapman, who’s having his best year (no hits allowed for a month) and is said to love Boston,” said Heyman.

Craig Breslow told reporters this week he was open to keeping his closer around beyond this season.

“Those conversations are always evolving, but based on the feedback I’ve gotten from Aroldis, he’s enjoyed his time in Boston, the city, the fan base, the coaching staff, and his teammates. … And this has worked out really, really well for us, so of course extending him is something we’d want to consider.

“It will take two sides, but this guy is having a historic season for a reliever. Certainly there’s reason to be skeptical as players reach their late 30s, but if you had to bet on somebody, the way he keeps himself in shape and how physically strong he is, that’s the type of guy you’d want to bet on,” Breslow added.

Boston signed ‘the Cuban Missile’ to a one-year, $10.75-million deal last winter, and he won the closer’s job out of spring training. With Chapman returning to the club next season, Boston’s bullpen could feature Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, Jordan Hicks, and Brennan Bernardino, all of whom are under team control for 2026.

Chapman, who defected from Cuba in 2009, debuted with Cincinnati in 2010 and quickly established himself as one of baseball’s hardest throwers. He has also pitched for the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs—with whom he won the 2016 World Series—Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers before joining Boston. He entered 2025 with more than 330 career saves and two Reliever of the Year awards.

News of the agreement was first reported by Francys Romero.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR PAYTON TOLLE?

Red Sox rookie Payton Tolle was promoted on Friday night and impressed in his first big league start. The 6-foot-6 left-hander went 5 1/3 innings of work, allowing two earned runs off three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Tolle kept the Pirates honest and off-balanced all right in a gusty performance in front of a sellout crowd of 36,344 at Fenway Park.

With his first start in the books, the Red Sox are uncertain when the lefty will pitch again.

“We brought up Payton with the expectation that he’s going to be able to contribute down the stretch for us,” Breslow said to reporters on Saturday afternoon, before the Red Sox’ 10-3 loss to the Pirates.

There’s a possibility that Tolle could start the homestand finale against the Cleveland Guardians.

“We’re talking about it, how we’re going to play that out,” said Cora. “Of course, understanding his workload during the season and how that plays out. So we’ll talk about it.”

A reason the Red Sox are hesitant to commit to Tolle starting against Cleveland is that the club has been carefully managing his workload. It’s Tolle’s first professional season, and he hasn’t pitched on four days’ rest all year, between his stints with the Greenville Drive, Portland Sea Dogs, and Worcester Red Sox. The bulldog left-hander has pitched 91 2/3 innings in the minors this season.

Between his 5 1/3 innings on Friday night and his time in the minors, Tolle is up to 97 innings this season.

If the Red Sox push Tolle back, he could start the series opener in Phoenix when Boston plays the Diamondbacks.

“We haven’t talked about it,” said Cora. “We know the situation, understanding that there’s two days for Sept. 1 (active roster expansion). Then, we have to make sure that all the dominos are where they’re supposed to be and then go from there.”

If Tolle doesn’t go on four days of rest, the Red Sox could recall Kyle Harrison from Triple-A Worcester. The left-hander has been with the WooSox since he was acquired back in June and has been passed up on promotions over the last couple of months as the Red Sox develop the southpaw.

Richard Fitts is not part of the equation to start in the coming days. He remains on the injured list with a bicep injury. The right-hander had a second MRI on Saturday afternoon to look at his biceps and shoulder; the first one was on his neck on Friday.

Fitts isn’t worried about damage to his elbow, but he’s trying to pinpoint the exact issue of his numbness in his right arm.

“Everything is pointing to the nerve stuff,” Fitts said. “It’s not like we’re trying to find something wrong. It’s more trying to find why it happened. We’re not going to go in and see there’s a giant tear.”

There’s no timetable for Fitts’ return, but it’s safe to say with it being this late in the season, the right-hander’s season is likely over.

“He’s feeling better. He’s getting stronger,” said Cora. “The recommendation was to just wait for him to get the strength back and go from there. How long that’s going to take, we don’t know.”

RACE FOR AL MVP

It’s Labor Day weekend, and with just one month left in baseball’s regular season, contenders begin to separate from the pack, and pretenders sink to the bottom of the standings. Aside from the competitive divisional races around the league, the battle for the American League MVP crown is shaping up to be one of the most compelling stories of recent memory.

The two focal points of the race for the AL MVP are centered on Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Mariners’ Cal Raleigh.

Judge, no stranger to the MVP spotlight, has carried the Yankees' offense all season. His trademark power and keen eye at the plate have guided him to be one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball.

The Yankees captain has not only been putting up elite numbers, but he’s been doing it through pain, dealing with a nagging elbow injury, forcing him to only hit the rest of the way. The defending AL champs are likely going to secure a spot in the postseason, largely due to Judge’s massive performance.

Judge is hitting .321/.441/.666 with 42 homers, 27 doubles, two triples, 96 RBI, nine stolen bases, and an eye-popping 1.107 OPS. This is the fourth straight season that Judge has had an OPS over 1.000, and he has done it five times in total.

On the opposite side of the coast, Raleigh has been the heartbeat of the Mariners' lineup all season. The backstop has been delivering in clutch situations all year and has blossomed into one of the game’s premier power threats.

In just his fifth season, Raleigh is hitting .241/.352/.581 with 50 homers, which leads all of baseball, and 107 RBI, which also leads the league, and has a .933 OPS. He has already hit the most homers by a catcher, and he should pass the great Mickey Mantle for the most home runs by a switch-hitter (54). 'The Big Dumper' has a chance to break Judge’s American League record of 62.

The dynamics are clear: Judge is chasing his third MVP trophy, further cementing his legacy in pinstripes. Raleigh, on the other hand, is breaking offensive records for a catcher anchoring Seattle’s lineup, who is sitting just three games behind the Astros for first place in the American League West.

The stage has been set, and Labor Day weekend will catapult these two sluggers into the homestretch of the regular season. Whether the award goes to the established slugger or the gritty catcher, one thing is certain: the American League MVP race is heating up, and it’s shaping into a two-man showdown worth watching.

JONAH TONG REMINISCENT OF TIM LINCECUM

Receiving the news that he will play in the big leagues is a moment every young baseball player has dreamed of since they were children. That moment arrived for Mets right-handed rookie Jonah Tong, and it was a debut to remember.

Tong, a high-regarded prospect known for his lively fastball and sharp secondary stuff, took the mound with a calm presence and attacked hitters with confidence. He mixed his velocity and command up, keeping the Marlins’ hitters guessing all night.

He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter in his debut. His fastball touched 97 mph, offering an elite ride, making it tough for Miami’s hitters to pick up. Tong struck out four of his six batters on his heater, and all four hitters went down looking.

Tong was as advertised for the Mets, and he made team history, joining Doc Gooden as the only Mets’ pitchers under the age of 23 to allow one or no runs in their big-league debut. It’s also the first time in Mets’ history that they have had two starters win their major league debut in the same season.

Tong began the season pitching for Binghamton and was 8-5 with a 1.59 ERA in 20 starts before being promoted to Syracuse. He was 2-0 in two Triple-A starts and didn’t allow a run in 11 2⁄3 innings.

“If you’re asking me at the beginning of the year if I ever thought this was going to happen, I would probably have told you exactly what I’m going to tell you now: It’s going to be where my feet are, and everything else is going to take care of itself, and I’m just very grateful to be here,” Tong said about being promoted to the Mets’ 26-man roster.

Outside of his dominant debut this weekend, Tong’s delivery and mechanics are very, and I mean very, similar to two-time National League Cy Young Award winner (2008 and 2009) Tim Lincecum.

Tong’s pitching motion is a spitting image of what Lincecum used on the mound, especially in the back of his delivery. He uses an exaggerated leg lift while rotating his torso backwards towards center field.

Lincecum was selected 10th overall in the 2006 draft out of the University of Washington and rose to stardom for the Giants. His wiry frame, flowing hair, and violent mechanics made him one of the most recognizable figures in the game.

The undersized right-hander with the unorthodox delivery, known as “The Freak,” stood just 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, defying expectations with his mid-to-upper-90s fastball and devastating changeup that baffled hitters.

Tong is listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, and might be a touch shorter than that. He has leaner shoulders but appears to be more solidly built at age 22 than Lincecum ever was. Tong has a strong foundation and powerful legs, looking bigger in his lower half than Lincecum did throughout his career.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

- Trevor Story is the leading candidate to become the American League Comeback Player of the Year. On top of that, he can also opt out of his contract with the Red Sox at the end of the season. It’s crazy to think that after three injury-plagued years in Boston, Story is finally playing at a high level and would just walk away from the final two years and $55 million owed to him.

- The Pirates recalled prospect Cam Devanney on Saturday before the Pirates blew the doors off the Red Sox. The New Hampshire native will be making his big league debut at Fenway Park on Sunday.

“This is as cool as it gets for me, man,” Devanney said. “I’ve been watching Red Sox games since I was 5 years old. Just really cool. I can’t think of a better way to hopefully kick off my career.

- Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs on Thursday night, becoming the 21st player in MLB history to achieve that milestone. He was 4-for-6 with a Phillies-record nine RBI in the 19-4 victory over the Braves.

"It's pretty cool," Schwarber said. "It was a fun night, great atmosphere. Wouldn't want to do it with a better group of guys than we have here."

- The Cubs are reportedly looking at adding former Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana. He was recently released as part of a joint decision between him and Cleveland.