MLB Rumors: Insider Links Andrew Chafin To AL West Team

He's the top left-handed reliever left on the market. Andrew Chafin has plenty of suitors, but for some reason he hasn't signed yet. Baseball Insider and former MLB general manager Jim Bowden figures it's the price tag that's holding back a deal.

"It's supply and demand — everybody wants him," Bowden said on MLB Network Radio on Friday. Then he dropped a rumor on a team that's most likely to land Chafin. And if it happens, it would be the first big move for a new GM. 

"Let's see if (Houston Astros GM) Dana Brown can pull the trigger. (Manager) Dusty (Baker) wants another left-handed reliever there. Let's watch Dana Brown go to work. I see him ending up in Houston, baby!"

The defending champion Astros, indeed, currently don't have a lefty planned in their bullpen, which is led by right-handers Ryan Pressley, Rafael Montero, Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu and Ryne Stanek. It's certainly a great fit for Chafin. 

The 34-year-old southpaw is a former first-round pick in the June Draft (2011), and has put together back-to-back elite seasons out of the 'pen and is ready to get paid. In 2021, he posted a 1.83 ERA split between the Chicago Cubs and Oakland A's, and followed that up with a 2.83 ERA with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings last season with the Detroit Tigers. He opted out of his $6.5M option for 2023, and should be in line for a raise. 

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