Aroldis Chapman traded from Royals to AL contender

Apr 24, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) looks on in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Aroldis Chapman is heading to a contender in the first major trade of the MLB season.

The Kansas City Royals announced Friday that they have traded Chapman to the Texas Rangers in exchange for pitcher Cole Ragans and a prospect.

We have traded LHP Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers in exchange for LHP Cole Ragans and OF Roni Cabrera.

Ragans, a 40-man roster player, has been optioned to Omaha (AAA) and Cabrera has been assigned to the Royals Dominican Summer League team.

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 30, 2023

Chapman has enjoyed something of a renaissance in the first three months of the campaign. He signed a one-year deal with the Royals in the offseason and posted a 2.45 ERA in 31 games, striking out 53 batters in 29.1 innings. Those numbers, combined with the Royals being in a full rebuild, made it pretty obvious that he would be traded at some point before the Aug. 1 deadline.

The Rangers entered play Friday with a five game lead in the AL West and a 49-32 record. Their bullpen, anchored by Will Smith, has been solid, and Chapman should at the very least add depth and experience to the unit.