Red Sox Video
As we approach the trade deadline, more and more members of the Boston Red Sox are starting to appear on lists of trade candidates. To kick off July, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden published an article after talking to 40 MLB executives and compiling a list of players they think are most likely to be traded. Sitting atop the list of relievers is none other than Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman.
As we all know, Chapman has had a career resurgence since coming to Boston, and if the Red Sox were to trade him at the deadline, he would command a large return package. The last time he was dealt, in 2023, the Rangers sent left-hander Cole Ragans and minor-league outfielder Roni Cabrera. Ragans has turned into a top of the rotation piece for the Royals. At the time of the trade, Chapman was sitting on a 2.35 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched. Currently, he’s sporting a 1.29 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 15 saves over 35 innings pitched. There are plenty of playoff teams that need late-inning relief help, with a few of those desperate for a proven closer. Even if the Red Sox are in contention come the deadline, it may be wise to send Chapman packing to help replenish the talent at both the major and minor league levels. Here are three rumored trade destinations for the 37-year-old closer, and how likely they are to be Chapman's next home.
#3: New York Yankees
Talk about coming full circle. I’ll be honest, I don’t see this trade happening, but out of all the teams currently in the playoff hunt, the Yankees present as a good option for Chapman. They traded for Devin Williams during the offseason and that hasn’t panned out in their favor at all. Then, they declared that Luke Weaver would be their closer moving forward at the end of April, and he has pitched pretty well. He currently has eight saves to go along with his 2.12 ERA in 29.2 innings pitched. New York could be interested in reacquiring Chapman to give them a playoff proven option as the postseason draws near. They won’t have to search very hard to find just how dominant Chapman can be once the calendar flips to October. His career ERA with the Yankees sits at 2.94 and should he continue this run of amazing baseball, another half season in the Bronx could drive it even lower. In reality, don’t expect the Red Sox to send such a valuable piece to their biggest rival, especially if they don't plan on tanking in the second half, but Craig Breslow has proven that he’s not afraid to make deals that cause waves. I also couldn’t see the Yankees sending any players of value to the Red Sox. They have no pitching that is pushing for an MLB spot.
Ultimately, the fit here is better on paper than in practice. To get the Red Sox to help their biggest rival, the Yankees would have to surrender legitimate prospects with long-term potential. Considering Chapman's shaky reputation in New York, this profiles more as a fever dream than an actual possibility.
#2: San Francisco Giants
Breslow could stand to pick up the phone and give Buster Posey another call, as Chapman would be an improvement over the closer-by-committee that the Giants are currently employing. The closer with the most saves, 13, for the Giants is Camilo Doval, who has a 3.03 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 38.2 innings. Second in saves is Ryan Walker (10), but he’s sitting on a 4.64 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 33 innings. The Giants are in a very similar situation to the Red Sox, likely sitting too far out of contention to win their division, but in striking distance of the final wildcard position. Doval may be better suited as a set-up option after he posted a 6.00 ERA in June. Adding someone of the caliber of Chapman to the back of their bullpen would likely push them ahead of a team like the Cardinals in the race. While Bryce Eldridge and Hayden Birdsong are likely still off-limits, pulling a top ten prospect from them probably isn’t out of the question if multiple teams are in on Chapman. The Giants have two pitchers in their top ten currently at Triple-A, so it may be feasible for the Red Sox to bolster their pitching depth while sending Chapman to the Bay Area.
The good news is both teams are intimately familiar with each other's systems after that trade. It's not normally advisable to go back to the same well that just poisoned you, but the Giants are an obvious fit for Chapman.
#1: Philadelphia Phillies
Chapman to the Phillies makes far too much sense. They’ve had four pitchers notch saves for them led by Jordan Romano with eight, Matt Strahm with five, Orion Kerkering with two, and Tanner Banks with one. Romano currently has a 7.28 ERA, while Strahm sits on a 3.67 ERA, Kerkering a 2.41 ERA, and Banks a 3.60 ERA. While Romano leads the team in saves, he went the month of June without adding one to his total. Strahm added three to his total in June, Kerkering added two, while Banks was also shut out. It’s clear the Phillies are operating by a closer-by-committee with two pitchers who are better served in set-up and middle relief roles in Strahm and Kerkering, while Romano and Banks clearly don’t have the trust of anyone making decisions.
As longtime Boston fans know, Dombrowski will wheel and deal as much as possible as he tries to improve his roster, and the closer position is in desperate need of improvement. Top prospect Andrew Painter is likely off the table in discussions, but the Red Sox should be incredibly interested in Philly’s number five prospect Mick Abel. Abel has been part of the rotation in Philadelphia since early June. He’s been knocked around lately—his most recent appearance came on July 2 and he only lasted 1 2/3 innings where he walked five while giving up five earned runs. His ERA has shot up to 5.04 in six games. That being said, he’s incredibly young and he’s going to have some growing pains at the big league level. Bringing him in and pairing him with Garrett Crochet would give Abel another young, sky’s the limit type pitcher to lean on. If Painter would be on the table, then sure that’s the direction you’d go. If he’s not though, a pivot to Abel would be an incredibly bright move for Breslow and company. Would Chapman be enough straight up for Abel? Not a chance. A package of Chapman and Duran ,though? Dombrowski would be salivating at the chance to bolster his closer position and make a fairly significant improvement in the outfield. Breslow needs to be on the phone with him often trying to get this deal done, even if it would cost more than our proposed package here.
Even if the Red Sox don’t fall completely out of contention as the trade deadline quickly approaches, flipping Aroldis Chapman for young, controllable pitchers is the best step forward. There are enough other closer types internally for the team to replace him for the rest of the season, and it’s possible that Jordan Hicks could find his footing as a closer again. Either way, Aroldis Chapman is going to be the hottest reliever on the market, and the Red Sox need to take advantage of their fortuitous market position.
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