Chafin's goal for '23? 'Get all the hitters out'

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- D-backs lefty Andrew Chafin keeps it simple, but he’s far from basic.

Chafin has evolved from a first-round D-backs Draft pick, to a Minor League starter, to a high-leverage big league reliever. During his first stint in Arizona, he brought fresh grounds and a grinder to the bullpen every day because he didn’t like the clubhouse coffee. Ater heading to the North Side in 2020, he gained notoriety with Cubs fans as “The Sheriff” thanks to his lockdown relief work and Wyatt Earp mustache.

He turned in a 2.83 ERA over 64 games with the Tigers in 2022 in his last season before free agency. And now, Chafin is back with the club that took him 43rd overall in 2011. So what sort of nuanced goal does he have in mind as he enters his ninth full season?

“Get all the hitters out,” Chafin said.

Manager Torey Lovullo hasn’t laid out how he’ll deploy his relievers this season, calling the D-backs’ bullpen situation “fluid” earlier this spring. Chafin will no doubt figure into the high-leverage innings somehow, but he’s not concerned about the details.

“When Torey calls me, I answer,” he said. “Whatever situation he needs me for, I’ll be ready.”

Lovullo appreciates the looseness that Chafin brings to the clubhouse, but the skipper knows he’s getting a different animal when he taps his left arm to call the 32-year-old veteran to the mound.

“He’s got a very unique personality, one that is fun-loving and curious,” Lovullo said. “But [when it’s time to pitch] something clicks over … and he gets himself as ready as anybody I’ve ever seen.”

Throughout his career, Chafin has found a balance between enjoying his time with his teammates and locking in when it’s time to set hitters down.

“If I spent the entire game, every game, staying focused from the first pitch to the seventh inning or whenever I come in, I would be mentally exhausted before they call my name,” Chafin said. “So I just kind of taught myself over the years how to pay close enough attention to know what I need to know when I need to know it and expect the phone call before it comes.”

Chafin has essentially relied on the same pitch mix throughout his career, using a combination of sinkers, sliders and four-seamers, but the way he deploys that arsenal has evolved.

“My approach has been pretty much the same [my whole career], except for my aggressiveness,” he said. “I feel like the last couple of years, I’ve been more aggressive, attacking the zone early in the count, trying to get ahead and basically just let the hitter get themselves out.

“That comes from experience, confidence in my own stuff and knowing it’s not easy to hit a 90 mph sinker that moves a foot and a half -- ‘Here it is. Good luck.’”

As Chafin begins his second stint with the D-backs, he has more experience than almost all of his bullpen counterparts, and he’s eager to contribute in the clubhouse as well as on the mound, particularly with younger pitchers.

“If guys have questions or if I see somebody repeatedly making the same mistake, if you will, I’ll go up to them and be like, ‘Hey, what’s your thought process on this?’” he said. “I’ll kind of talk them through it, see what they’re thinking, see how they’re approaching it. And maybe if I’m able to, I’ll suggest another way to think about it. … Just try to help these guys learn who they are as a player more quickly than I did at that age.”

One thing Chafin won’t be imparting on his teammates is building that personal brand. “The Sheriff” was fun for fans and broadcasters, but that moniker may have stayed on the North Side.

“I’m just here to play ball. For lack of better words, I don’t really care about that stuff,” he said. “It’s fun. I’m going to have fun with it when I can, but my primary job is to get hitters out and be ready the next day.”

Whether the coffee grinder returns to Chase Field remains to be seen. Chafin said he’s willing to give the 2023 clubhouse brew a chance.

“I don’t know. I haven’t been here for Opening Day yet,” he said. “I assume it’ll be fine.”