Red Sox-Diamondbacks Aroldis Chapman Trade Idea Doesn't Add Up

It's just April and wild trade speculation around Major League Baseball already has started.

It's important to note that it's just April 16. Every team is one good week — or one bad week — from completely flipping the script in the standings. That's just because of how small the sample size of the season is. Take a look at the Houston Astros, for example. The Astros came out of the gate and looked like one of the hottest teams in baseball. Then, all of a sudden, Houston dropped eight games in a row. Now, the Astros are 8-11 on the season.

Things shift in the blink of an eye, and therefore there's no reason yet to really buy into trade speculation out there. That should definitely be the case with the Boston Red Sox, specifically. Boston is 7-11 on the season, but has the talent to rise much higher. Also, the American League in general is bunched together. The Minnesota Twins have the most wins in the American League right now with just 11. All of this is to say, the speculation is a bit early. On Thursday, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter shared a column highlighting trade ideas for "contenders in danger of selling off." The Red Sox were in a one-for-one mock trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks to send Aroldis Chapman away for Arizona's No. 12 prospect Kohl Drake.

"To ARI: LHP Aroldis Chapman," Reuter wrote. "To BOS: LHP Kohl Drake (Tier 5). Once upon a time, the Royals turned a two-month rental of Aroldis Chapman into a controllable young starter named Cole Ragans in a 2023 trade deadline deal with the Rangers. Could the Red Sox follow a similar blueprint this summer?

"Chapman enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career last year with the Red Sox, posting a 1.17 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 12.5 K/9 with 32 saves in 67 appearances, and he was re-signed to a one-year, $13 million deal that includes a $13 million mutual option and $300,000 buyout for 2027."

Breaking Down The Boston-Arizona Mock Trade

Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) reacts after a pitch is called a ball in the ninth inning of the MLB Opening Day game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The Reds lost the season opener, 3-0. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Simply put, this is a trade idea the Red Sox should look at once and never think about it again. Chapman is on a steal of a contract and has a 1.50 ERA and three saves in six total appearances after winning the 2025 Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award. Chapman had a 1.17 ERA in 67 total appearances last year for Boston. He's been equally good so far this season. Chapman is making just $13 million in 2026 and has a conditional option for the 2027 season based on his innings pitched in 2026.

It costs a lot to have an elite reliever. The New York Mets handed Devin Williams a three-year, $51 million dea l, despite having the worst season of his career in 2025 with the New York Yankees. Robert Suarez got a three-year, $45 million deal from the Atlanta Braves and he's 35 years old. Edwin Díaz got a three-year deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $69 million. The list goes on. The Red Sox have a guy thats is among the best. When he's able to go, the Red Sox essentially only have to account for eight innings of work because Chapman is a near-guarantee to lock down the ninth inning.

Boston isn't currently a "contender in danger of selling off." It's just April and the club has already started to turn things around. Even if the Red Sox opted to trade Chapman, flipping him for a 25-year-old prospect who isn't ranked among the Diamondbacks' top-10 prospects just doesn't make sense. All in all, this mock trade isn't it.

Add us as a preferred source on Google