Yankees add year to Aroldis' contract

NEW YORK -- Aroldis Chapman has said that he hopes to finish his career in Yankees pinstripes, and the left-handed closer will continue to have that opportunity, having reached agreement with the club to extend his contract through the 2022 season.

Chapman had until 12:01 a.m. on Sunday to opt out of the remaining two years and $30 million on the five-year, $86 million pact he signed prior to the 2017 season. Instead, the Yankees agreed to tack on 2022 at a value of $18 million, so Chapman will earn a total of $48 million over the next three years.

“New York, I told you I wasn’t going anywhere!” Chapman wrote on his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

The Yankees have not formally announced the extension, but the terms were confirmed by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

Despite serving up José Altuve’s walk-off homer in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, the 31-year-old Chapman enjoyed a productive season in which he was selected as an All-Star for the sixth time in his career (second in the AL) and honored with the Mariano Rivera Award as the AL’s top reliever.

In 60 appearances, Chapman posted a 2.21 ERA while converting 37 of 42 save opportunities, ranking fourth among AL relievers with a 13.42 K/9.0 IP ratio (85 strikeouts in 57 innings).

Though his fastball velocity has dropped in each of the past four seasons, with his 581 heaters averaging 98.0 mph this year, Chapman struck out 36.2% of the 235 batters he faced. He has increased the utilization of his slider across those four years, using a pitch that manager Aaron Boone calls “a weapon” 31.1% of the time in 2019.

In July, Chapman denied a report that suggested he had already decided to opt out of his contract.

“God willing, I want to stay here, for sure,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “But at the same time, from what I understand, after next year my contract changes a little bit and the Yankees have the ability to trade me. It's one of those things that is kind of out of my control, but yeah, God willing I'd want to finish [my career] here.”

The Yankees first acquired Chapman in a December 2015 trade with the Reds, then dealt him to the Cubs shortly before the '16 Trade Deadline for a package that included Gleyber Torres.

Chapman went on to help the Cubs end their 108-year World Series championship drought before rejoining New York that offseason. He owns a 2.61 ERA with 91 saves over the first three years of his current contract with the Yankees.

The Yankees could have absorbed a potential Chapman departure by elevating left-hander Zack Britton to the closer’s role, heading a group that projects to include Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle and Adam Ottavino. Dellin Betances, who was limited to just one appearance by injuries, is a free agent.

Instead, general manager Brian Cashman is now free to focus on the pursuit of starting pitching. Right-hander

Gerrit Cole stands tall as the most prized target of the offseason, joined by right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who opted out of his Nationals contract on Saturday and is now a free agent.