Whether or not Aroldis Chapman is still wearing a Boston Red Sox uniform after the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline is out of his hands, but that didn’t stop the veteran closer from making his feelings clear about a potential outcome amidst growing rumors that the 27-39 Sox will be sellers.
“If something like this were to happen,” Chapman told ESPN’s Enrique Rojas during the team’s series at Tampa Bay earlier this week, “I believe someone from this organization should apologize first.”
“This organization” is the New York Yankees, and Chapman answered “Yes,” when asked if the person to whom he referred was general manager Brian Cashman.
“I’m in a position right now where I’m under contract and I don’t have any control over my contract,” Chapman said. “I don’t have any clauses or anything with any team, but (going to the Yankees) would be something that, first of all, I would have to talk to the manager about. Sit down and talk and see what would happen.”
The Yankees first acquired Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds during the 2015-16 offseason – after a Red Sox trade fell through due to his domestic violence incident – and flipped him to the Cubs at the 2016 trade deadline. Chapman helped Chicago end its 108-year championship drought that October, then signed a five-year, $86 million contract with the Yankees that offseason, a record-breaking contract for a reliever.
Chapman’s New York tenure ended acrimoniously in 2022. The Yankees stripped him of his closer role as he pitched to a 4.46 ERA over 43 regular-season games, still the worst ERA of his 17-year career by far. He missed time due to Achilles tendonitis and an infected tattoo on his leg.
The Yankees then left Chapman off the ALDS roster and fined him when he was absent from a mandatory team practice at their ballpark before the series. Chapman said he had permission, Cashman said otherwise.
“There was no legitimate reason why he wasn’t here,” Cashman told reporters at the time.
Chapman hasn’t shied away from slamming his former ball club over the last few years. During an appearance on the “Swing Completo” podcast last October, he said, “No way. Not even dead,” in Spanish when asked if he’d ever play for New York again.
“If I were told that I was being traded to New York, I’d pack my things and go home,” Chapman told the podcasters. “I’ll retire right on the spot if that happens. I’m not crazy. Never again.”
Chapman meanwhile has put together a stellar career turnaround since signing with the Red Sox before the 2025 season. He posted a career-best 1.17 ERA over 67 games in 2025, finished seventh in American League Cy Young voting and 18th in AL MVP voting, earned his first All-Star selection since his penultimate Yankees season in 2021, and won AL Reliever of the Year. He’s pitching at a similarly dominant level this season and looks poised for his second consecutive All-Star turn; he owns a 0.46 ERA over 20 games, with 26 strikeouts and one earned run allowed in 19 2/3 innings.
Chapman is making $13.3 million this year and has a $13 million option for 2027.
Whether or not the Red Sox are willing to send their star closer to bolster their biggest rivals remains to be seen. Likewise for whether or not the Yankees are willing to take the risk of reuniting with him.