Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman Wants to Stay, But Boston Holds the Cards

With another loss on Monday, the Boston Red Sox are now 10 games below .500 at 27-37 on the season with two more games scheduled against the Tampa Bay Rays before heading back to Fenway Park to face the Texas Rangers on Friday.

On one hand, it's pretty clear that the Red Sox don't want to wave the white flag. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made it clear that he is looking around trying to make a move. On Monday, reports surfaced from ESPN's Buster Olney indicating that the trade talks have elevated to the point that ownership has gotten involved. It's clear that Boston wants to add. But will the performance on the field warrant that? It's the big question right now. Being 10 games below .500 on June 9 isn't completely insurmountable, but it is a big hole to get out of. It's not going to be easy.

Boston is in a tricky spot, so naturally, rumors and speculation have also popped up about various guys the club could look to offload. The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey reported that the team has fielded calls on Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, and Justin Slaten, but has told teams that they aren't willing to move their relievers yet. McCaffrey also reported that the Red Sox are shopping Connor Wong. USA Today's Bob Nightengale took the Chapman noise further and said he's "expected" to get traded this season. Arguably, a bit far for this point in the season, especially with the Red Sox clearly trying to add, not subtract. But something to watch.

What Will Happen With Aroldis Chapman?

Jun 5, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

But how does Chapman feel? He made it clear on Monday that his hope is to stay in Boston and turn things around, as shared by MassLive.com's Christopher Smith.

"My mentality is to stay here and win here,” Chapman said through a translator, as transcribed by Smith. “Try to turn things around. ... I don’t have the control over that."

Chapman made his point clear. Now, it's going to be very interesting to see what the club does. He has a 0.46 ERA in 20 appearances with 13 saves. The reigning Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award winner has a conditional option for the 2027 season that will be unlocked when he reaches 40 innings pitched and he passes a physical at the end of the year. He's just under halfway to the innings goal.

At the end of the day, the best-case scenario would be Boston getting hot and shutting down all of this noise. Chapman clearly would bring a solid return, but winning is much better than that. Hopefully, things will change soon. But if the club can't turn things around, the Red Sox hold the cards and could easily find a taker. Chapman made his point clear. What will Boston do?

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