Cleveland Guardians fans are familiar with left-hander Aroldis Chapman. He was the one on the mound when Rajai Davis hit that improbable game-tying home run in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, ten years ago.
The Cubs ended up winning that game and that series, anyway, but it wasn’t Chapman’s finest moment. He later went to the New York Yankees and had an amazing career, statistically speaking, but one full of controversy and more low points in October.
Chapman, however, has left his Yankees’ tenure behind and is now the closer of the Boston Red Sox since the start of the 2025 campaign, after brief stints in Kansas City, Texas, and Pittsburgh in 2023 and 2024. He has enjoyed quite a renaissance in Boston, posting a 1.17 ERA last year and a 2.36 mark this season, with lots of strikeouts.
The Guardians find themselves in need of bullpen additions ahead of the deadline, and while Chapman is 38 and makes $13 million in 2026, it’s easy to see how he would improve the unit.
ESPN’s Eric Karabell named the Guardians as one of Chapman’s potential landing spots before August 3, with the Red Sox being open for business.
“Baseball’s trade deadline comes in four weeks (Monday, August 3), and the well-traveled Chapman (seven franchises) leads the list of save options who should be on the move. It certainly is plausible that Chapman lands on a team with an established closer (see: Padres, Phillies, Braves, Guardians, perhaps even the Dodgers). Chapman has pitched in a setup role for several teams over recent seasons,” Karabell wrote.
Cade Smith is firmly entrenched as the Guardians’ closer, but having Chapman would allow manager Stephen Vogt to play the matchups and make sure to give the bullpen another elite lefty, in addition to Erik Sabrowski.
Chapman has made nine All-Star Games if we include his 2026 selection, has been the AL Reliever of the Year twice, and boasts a career 2.52 ERA with 1,366 strikeouts in 848 frames. He has a huge resume and remains a hard-throwing beast in the back of the Red Sox’s bullpen.
Complicating matters, as always, is the money. The Guardians would surely prefer a cheaper reliever, but if Boston is willing to eat some of Chapman’s salary, perhaps there’s a chance of a deal happening.
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