Andrew Chafin has had an interesting MLB career.
The lefty broke into the big leagues in 2014, and since then, he has had his fair share of strong seasons and poor seasons.
But in 2021, he had an outstanding campaign.
As a result, he’s going to have no trouble finding a home in free agency once the MLB lockout ends.
Several teams will likely be in the mix for his services.
Here are a few clubs that would make sense for him to sign with.
3. Houston Astros
The Houston Astros’ 2021 World Series hopes were squashed at the hands of the Atlanta Braves.
Houston has no choice but to get better this offseason, and the team’s bullpen is definitely one area that could use improvement.
For starters, the team’s bullpen was pretty mediocre in 2021, as it pitched to an ERA of 4.06.
Further, the Astros have already lost multiple relief pitchers in free agency, so they’d be wise to bring in some new arms.
Chafin would be a good one to add.
He’s coming off of a fantastic 2021 season in which he posted a 1.83 ERA across 71 appearances.
Andrew Chafin, Wicked 82mph Back Foot Slider…Bend the Knee. 👑 pic.twitter.com/bgs9rwBlj6
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 7, 2021
He also registered a 230 ERA+, 2.98 FIP, and 0.93 WHIP.
Any team in baseball would sign up for that sort of production in a heartbeat.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies can’t afford to waste another season of Bryce Harper‘s prime.
The superstar is doing everything in his power to end Philadelphia’s playoff drought, but he can’t do it alone.
The club’s bullpen is a big issue.
In 2021, the staff ranked 25th in the majors with an unsightly 4.60 ERA.
That’s obviously not going to get the job done.
Chafin would immediately slide in as one of Philadelphia’s best relievers and would offer the team some stability in late-inning situations.
After the club blew a whopping 34 saves in 2021, some consistency would be a beautiful sight for Phillies fans to see in the late stages of games.
Philadelphia has already added Corey Knebel, but the team could take things a step further by signing Chafin.
1. New York Mets
There has been some buzz about Chafin potentially signing with the New York Mets.
It has already been a huge offseason for the Mets, and it would become even bigger if they were to ink Chafin to a deal.
New York’s bullpen was definitely serviceable in 2021, but there was some room for improvement.
Moreover, Aaron Loup, who was an elite relief option for the Mets in the 2021 season, has already signed elsewhere this offseason.
Aaron Loup signed a 2-yr, $17M deal with the #Angels
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 22, 2021
For that reason, New York could use a major bullpen addition like Chafin.
Chafin has had a solid amount of success at the Mets’ Citi Field throughout his career, as he has a lifetime ERA of 3.52 and WHIP of 0.78 at that ballpark.
That could be a good sign.
He also has an impressive track record against NL East teams.
The 31-year-old boasts a career ERA of 3.38 and WHIP of 1.17 in his career against NL East opponents.
The Mets’ schedule is obviously loaded with NL East teams each year, so that seems like something worth noting.
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