Aroldis Chapman Is the Best Reliever Available: Red Sox Are Almost Certain to Trade Him
Aroldis Chapman is 38 years old. He is throwing 100 miles per hour again. He has a 0.46 ERA in his last 19.2 innings. And he is almost certainly not going to be closing games for the Boston Red Sox by August 4.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel gave Chapman a 90 percent chance of being traded before the August 3 deadline. That is basically as close to a lock as you get in the rumor mill.
The reasons are simple. Chapman is a reliever on an expiring 13 million dollar contract with a 13 million dollar vesting option for 2027. The Red Sox are not going anywhere in the AL East. He is the best closer available in any market. Every contender needs him.
Let’s walk through the reality. Boston is under .500 and behind Toronto and Baltimore in the division. The wild card race is possible but not likely given the offensive struggles. They are in “recover future value” mode, and Chapman is the biggest chip they have.
Chapman’s 2026 season has been remarkable. He has 17 saves. His ERA is under 0.50 in his most recent run. His fastball velocity is back to peak levels. He has converted 28 consecutive save opportunities dating back to last season, one shy of his career record. Any team that needs a closer or a shutdown late inning arm is calling Craig Breslow.
The list of contenders looking for a reliever is long. The Yankees would love to add a lefty at the back of their bullpen. The Astros need late inning help. The Cubs have been aggressive in adding pitching. The Blue Jays are pushing all in. The Phillies always have room for another arm.
Boston has leverage. Multiple bidders means the return will be substantial. Chapman is worth at least one top 100 prospect, possibly two, plus additional pieces depending on how far a bidding war escalates. That is real value for a rebuilding club.
The Red Sox will not want to keep him. His vesting option makes him expensive next year if he continues to save games. There is no reason for a team out of the playoff picture to pay 13 million dollars for a closer they do not need.
The interesting angle is what David Schoenfield of ESPN raised: what if Boston gets aggressive and tries to be a buyer and seller at the same time? Trade Chapman for prospects, then flip other prospects to bring in Major League help for a wild card push. It is a bold idea. It also probably will not happen because Boston is too far out of it.
Chapman has said publicly that he wants to stay with the Red Sox. Players say that all the time. It rarely matters. The business side of baseball takes over at the deadline, and Chapman is a tradeable asset who will not be back next year regardless.
His likely landing spot: a real contender that needs a closer or a bridge to a closer. Miami actually wanted him last year. Baltimore might make a push. San Diego, if they can find the money, would love to add a lefty to their bullpen.
The betting favorite is probably the Yankees, purely because of the fit and the history. Chapman was a Yankee for years. He knows the market. He would be a strong addition next to Devin Williams and the rest of the bullpen. New York needs everything they can get to make a push in the second half.
Whatever happens, expect Chapman to be moved. The Red Sox are not going to let this deadline pass without cashing in their most valuable asset. And no team in baseball can turn down 100 mile per hour lefty stuff at the back of the bullpen in October.
The countdown is on. August 3 at 6 p.m. Chapman will probably be gone by then.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
