The Boston Red Sox have been a rollercoaster this season. They were expected to be a clear contender in the American League, but they are 43-45, six games back in the AL East.
The Wild Card path is available to them, as they are only three games back in that race. However, the team has a few pieces that other contending teams might be interested in this year at the trade deadline.
One such piece is closer Aroldis Chapman, who was signed to a one-year, $10.75 million contract last offseason.
In Jim Bowden’s latest survey of executives around the league, many executives picked Chapman as the most likely reliever to be traded at the deadline this summer.
“The execs overwhelmingly picked Chapman as the reliever most likely to be traded in July. The 37-year-old is having a banner season,” Bowden wrote. “He would be a difference-maker in any bullpen. Two years ago, Chapman was traded from the Royals to the Rangers in a late-June deadline deal for lefty Cole Ragans and a minor-league outfielder.”
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Chapman is 3-2 with a 1.29 ERA and 1.9 WAR in 38 appearances with Boston this year. The seven-time All-Star and former Reliever of the Year has also racked up 15 saves.
But if Boston can’t turn their season around, it might make sense for them to ultimately trade the veteran closer. He could bring back a similar haul to what the Kansas City Royals received for him back in 2023.
As a rental reliever, his value has certainly increased, and it would be hard to imagine him not bringing back something of value for the Red Sox if they do decide to trade him.
This would set Boston up well for 2026 and beyond.
Chapman is also a two-time World Series champion, having won rings with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and the Texas Rangers in 2023. It will be interesting to see how things shake out at the deadline.
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