Relievers are always a hot commodity at the trade deadline, and the Red Sox have one of the best in the game.
The Red Sox are trending toward being sellers at the trade deadline, and 38-year-old Aroldis Chapman is a player to watch. His $13 million contract for next season will guarantee with 40 innings pitched and a passed physical. The Red Sox have his replacement ready in Garrett Whitlock, and there is no need to hang on to such a valuable asset if the postseason is a long shot.
Chapman will turn 39 soon, and his age is certainly a concern. The Red Sox could risk him seeing a sharp decline and then being unable to trade him. Right now, he is an All-Star with great trade value. The New York Yankees need a leverage arm, but Chapman being dealt to the Yankees is not something fans should hold their breath for.
For one, trades between the Yankees and Red Sox are extremely rare. In fact, in the last 57 years, the two rivals have completed just nine trades. Historically speaking, the Yankees are the least likely team for Chapman to get dealt to. On top of that, Chapman's own gripes with the Yankees make them an unlikely destination.
Earlier this season, Chapman was asked about the possibility of being dealt to the Yankees and noted that he would need an apology from Brian Cashman. Chapman's end with the Yankees was far from pretty. He missed a workout before the postseason and was left off the postseason roster. Cashman also questioned whether he was "all in" that season. He missed time with a leg infection that season as well.
Aaron Boone responded to Chapman's apology request, noting that he did not think Chapman was owed an apology.
"At the end of the day, he wasn’t at the workout,” Boone said. “I made the decision based on a lot of things and thought to leave him off because I thought that was the right thing to do for our club at the time. Chappy apologized and, really, it’s water under the bridge for me. I love Chappy. I have a really good relationship with him to this day, but the ending of the 2022 season is what it was. He wasn’t there, and I made the decision that I didn’t think it was best for him to come back at that point."
If Chapman were, against all odds, traded to the Yankees, there is a real possibility that he could refuse to play until he gets the apology he thinks he deserves.