Red Sox 8-Time All-Star Suddenly Connected to Padres

The Boston Red Sox had one of their more promising series of the season earlier in the week as they swept the Kansas City Royals in three games. Boston had momentum heading back to Fenway Park for a three-game series against the struggling Minnesota Twins, but ended up stringing together one of its worst series of the season.

The Red Sox were swept by Minnesota, despite scoring five or more runs in two of the three games. The offense wasn't the issue throughout the series. Ironically, the pitching — which has been among the best in the league — had a rocky few days.

Now, Boston is 22-30 on the season and is in last place in the American League East. The Red Sox took a step forward earlier in the week, and have taken two steps back since. It's certainly not the position the club wants to be in and teams have eyes on the club as a result. On Sunday, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the San Diego Padres have eyes on superstar closer Aroldis Chapman.

The Red Sox All-Star Is Being Watched Closely Already

May 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) celebrates with catcher Connor Wong (12) after the win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

"The San Diego Padres are looking for more bullpen help and have their eyes on Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox and Antonio Senzatela of the Colorado Rockies," Nightengale wrote.

The fact that there are reports out there about teams eyeing the Red Sox's roster in case of a sell-off is just another negative thing for the organization. It's been a difficult season in general. The Red Sox fired former manager Alex Cora and a handful of coaches. Both Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet are on the Injured List. Boston also is still in last place. Fortunately, the American League has been bad in general. But that can only be an excuse for so long. It's May 24 and the Red Sox are eight games below .500.

Earlier in the week, Red Sox president and chief executive officer Sam Kennedy acknowledged that the club is already having trade talks. This was in reference to the club looking to find a way to add some pop to the lineup.

If the Red Sox were to trade Chapman, that would be a clear sign that Boston is giving up on the season. Arguably, the club shouldn't be anywhere near that right now. But the Padres are arguably watching the lefty flamethrower closely.

Add us as a preferred source on Google