400 Saves, a Long Way From Holguín

Holguín

Aroldis Chapman was born Albertín Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz in Holguín, Cuba. He grew up in a three-room house with his parents and two sisters. His father trained boxers. The family owned the only sets of boxing gloves in their rural neighborhood, and Chapman drew ring borders in the dirt road beside the house, sparring with friends after school. He had a quick temper. He threw rocks after losses. Around age 11, his mother stopped the boxing and told him to try baseball.

A friend brought him to a local team at 15. He started at first base until a coach watched him throw and moved him to the mound.

Rotterdam

In July 2009, Chapman walked out the front door of the Cuban national team's hotel in Rotterdam carrying a passport and cigarettes. A car was waiting. He spent days in Amsterdam, then rode 22 hours through France with an agent before establishing residency in Andorra to become a free agent. He left a girlfriend and a newborn daughter behind in Cuba. The Reds signed him that January — six years, $30.25 million. His debut came August 31, 2010. Dusty Baker, his manager in Cincinnati, described him as cordial but sometimes mentally distant. Teammates called him likable. Coaches would later point to his work ethic as an example for the young pitchers around him.

Seven Clubs

The career ran through seven teams in 17 seasons. Six years in Cincinnati. A 2016 season split between the Yankees and the Cubs. Six more years back in New York. A 2023 split between Kansas City and Texas. One year in Pittsburgh. Then Boston. He won World Series titles in 2016 and 2023, and made nine All-Star teams spread across the whole of it. Nine hundred and thirteen appearances, none of them starts.

On September 6, 2026, Chapman recorded his 400th career save. He is 38 years old, in his second season with the Red Sox, with 33 saves in 50 appearances this year.

Reporting: ESPN, Wikipedia. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.