Ryan Garcia
With the Boston Red Sox mired in an atrocious season, where the club is on-pace to have its second-worst record in the franchise’s modern history, Aroldis Chapman is expected to be traded.
The Yankees need no introduction with Chapman; the left-hander spent the entire 2017-2022 seasons in their bullpen and half of the 2016 season as well, but the two had an ugly divorce.
Chapman dismissed himself from the team after not attending an optional workout for the postseason in 2022, with the team not guaranteeing him a spot on their roster for October.
Nothing has linked the Yankees to the Red Sox closer, but he told Enrique Rojas of ESPN that he would need Brian Cashman to apologize if he were to return in a deadline deal.
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Aroldis Chapman Still Has Beef with Yankees’ Brian Cashman
Aroldis Chapman is aware that he will be sought-after at this year’s trade deadline, his 1.00 ERA and 36% strikeout rate since landing with the Boston Red Sox in 2025 are some of the best marks in the entire sport.
One could make a real argument that he has been the best closer in the game, but his lasting history of off-field transgressions have rubbed fans and organizations the wrong way.
Chapman allegedly fired numerous gunshots in his garage and choked out his girlfriend at his residence, violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy and serving a 30-game suspension.
The Red Sox, who initially attempted to acquire him in 2016, backed out of a potential deal with the Reds for the star closer due to this incident.
An ugly ending to his time in New York came about as a result of him going to Miami and dismissing himself from the team following news that his playoff spot had not been guaranteed ahead of an optional team workout.
Brian Cashman noted that he was not surprised by Chapman’s decision to ghost his club, as the team fined him and the long-time GM referred to the decision as “disappointing”.
The team also had an incident where Aroldis Chapman had gotten a tattoo on his leg earlier in the season, with it getting infected and requiring a stint on the injured list after.
Despite the transgressions that would universally be panned as selfish or at the very least reckless, Chapman feels as if Brian Cashman would have to approach him with an apology first in order to accept a return to the Bronx.
It is unclear if the Yankees, who could use a dominant closer but have had a messy relationship with the star left-hander, would even entertain the idea of trading for him.
Another variable is the public vitriol that would likely follow if Craig Breslow, who has not ingratiated himself with the Red Sox fanbase to this point, were to aid the Yankees in a pursuit of their 28th World Series Championship.
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