Aroldis Chapman has made one condition clear if the Boston Red Sox ever considered sending him back to the New York Yankees before the MLB trade deadline: he believes Yankees general manager Brian Cashman should apologize for how their first stint ended.
Chapman Links Yankees Return To Cashman Apology
ESPN reported from St. Petersburg, Florida, that Chapman sees the Yankees as a possible fit only in theory. The Red Sox are in last place in the American League East, and the veteran closer's form makes him an obvious trade-deadline name, but Boston dealing him inside the division would still be a difficult sell.
The history is the bigger complication. Chapman saved 146 games and was a three-time All-Star with the Yankees from 2016 to 2022, but his final season in New York ended badly.
He had a 4.46 ERA in 2022, dealt with a left leg infection tied to a tattoo, lost the closer job to Clay Holmes and was left off the playoff roster after missing a mandatory practice before the AL Division Series. Chapman has said he had permission to go to Miami; Cashman accused him of insubordination.
Chapman told ESPN Deportes that someone from the Yankees organization should apologize first if a reunion ever became real, and when asked if that meant Cashman, he answered yes.
Red Sox Slide Makes Chapman A Trade Name
Boston entered the story at 27-39 after being swept at Tropicana Field, 13.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays and 5.5 games out of the third AL wild-card spot. That is the kind of math that turns a strong reliever into a July question, whether the club likes the optics or not.
Chapman, 38, has been one of Boston's best performers. ESPN reported that he had allowed one run with 26 strikeouts in 19.2 innings this season while converting all 13 save chances.
Across 87 games with the Red Sox, Chapman has a 1.00 ERA, 45 saves and 111 strikeouts in 81 innings. Those are not nostalgia numbers; those are numbers playoff teams notice.
Contract Terms Keep Chapman Market Simple
Chapman has 380 career saves, eight All-Star selections and two championship rings. He is playing on a one-year, $13.3 million contract that includes a $13 million option for 2027 if he pitches at least 40 innings in 2026 and passes a postseason physical.
He told ESPN Deportes that he has no control over the trade rumors and no no-trade clauses. That leaves the decision with Boston, while any hypothetical Yankees move would also have to pass through the old scar tissue between Chapman and Cashman.