Aroldis Chapman spent more years with the New York Yankees than anyone else in his storied career, but don’t expect the fireballer to sport an interlocking “NY” hat on his potential Hall of Fame plaque.
Chapman had a volatile tenue with the Yankees, including multiple season-ending home runs surrendered in the postseason, and being left off the playoff roster in his final year in the Bronx. The 37-year-old has since rejuvenated his career while playing for four other teams, including the arch-rival Boston Red Sox.
After putting up arguably his best season ever in year one as a Red Sox, Chapman signed a one-year extension to keep him in Boston in the middle of August. There’s no reason to think he’d return to the Yankees at any point, but he still wanted to make it clear recently that he wouldn’t consider doing so under any circumstances.
Oct 2, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
During a recent appearance on the “Swing Completo” podcast, Chapman said, in no uncertain terms, that he’d never be willing to don a Yankees uniform again.
“No way. Not even dead,” Chapman said in Spanish, in a clip posted to the podcast’s Instagram page. “If I were told that I was being traded to New York, I’d pack my things and go home. I’ll retire right on the spot if that happens. I’m not crazy. Never again.
“I dealt with a lot of disrespect there. I put up with a lot of things. I knew that they just wanted to find a way to get rid of me, but they didn’t know how. And I just dealt with it quietly, kept playing, and doing what I always do.”
Chapman went on to say that he maintained good relationships with his teammates from his Yankees days, and harbored no grudge against manager Aaron Boone. But he blamed “the bosses” (aka general manager Brian Cashman and the front office) for wanting him out.
In defense of the Yankees’ brass, Chapman was a negative-WAR reliever in 2022 and also missed time on the injured list due to a botched tattoo. It was easy to see why they wouldn’t have wanted to broker a reunion in free agency, but the lefty did go on to win a World Series the next season as a member of the Texas Rangers.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, Chapman can channel his distaste for the Yankees into striking their hitters out for at least one more season.
More MLB: Red Sox Acquire 3-Year MLB Veteran, Add Depth At Catching Position