"I was begging" - Ex-Twins slugger reveals his persistent efforts to get Aroldis Chapman to Target Field fell on deaf ears

Aroldis Chapman, a relief pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, clocked a speed of 105.1 mph while pitching to Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres on Wednesday at PNC Park. Known for his fastballs that often exceed 100 mph, the southpaw has spent 15 years in the major league.

In an August 8th interview with Chris Rose on the "JM Baseball" YouTube channel, Trevor Plouffe, a former Minnesota Twins power hitter, shared how he tried to unsuccessfully persuade the club to sign Chapman to Target Field during the offseason:

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"I was begging the Twins' front office to go and try to get him from the Pirates. I was begging them. Besides Nathan Eovaldi, that was the other name. I was like, 'look guys, I know the command hasn’t been there but I know that this guy, obviously everyone knows what he can bring to the table. He can be your lockdown reliever. He could be your closer.'

"I doubt that he would be that in Minnesota, but he has that potential to be whatever lane you need him and they just, they weren't gonna do it." (Time stamp: 18:40)

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Aroldis Chapman Makes History with Fastball in Pirates' Extra Innings Loss

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Aroldis Chapman proved he's still got an arm at 36. During the Pirate's tough 9- 8 defeat against the Padres on Wednesday, Chapman threw his fastest pitch in over eight years at an impressive speed of 105.1 mph painted on the inside corner. The pitch, delivered against Machado in the top of the eighth inning, became the fastest pitch ever thrown this season in MLB.

Despite Aroldis Chapman's efforts, the Pirates couldn't hold onto their lead. Jackson Merrill's solo homer evened the score for the Padres, and three runs in the 10th inning clinched the victory for San Diego. This defeat extended Pittsburgh's losing streak to three games and put them at a disadvantage in the National League Wild Card race as they now have a record of 56-58.

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