Yankees Should Swallow Pride, Trade for Aroldis Chapman Despite Apology Drama

The Boston Red Sox are in last place in the American League East and could trade closer (and former New York Yankees left-hander) Aroldis Chapman before the Aug. 3 deadline.

It's in the Yankees' best interest to put the past aside and trade for Aroldis Chapman, giving their bullpen a much-needed boost. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

General manager Brian Cashman must decide what matters more: personal pride or Yankee pride? If it's the latter, Cashman has no choice but to bring Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman back to the Bronx before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Much has been written about the end of Chapman's tenure with the Yankees. Back in October of 2022, New York left Chapman off the Yankees’ postseason roster after skipping a mandatory workout before the American League Division Series. Chapman said the club gave him permission to go home to Miami.

Earlier this month, Chapman said that if he is to return to the Yankees, he needs someone in the front office to own up to the messy ending in 2022.

An apology from GM Brian Cashman is what it'd take for Aroldis Chapman to be open to a Yankees reunion. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"What happened, happened," Chapman said, according to ESPN's Enrique Rojas. "If something like this were to happen, I believe someone from this organization should apologize first."

When asked whether Cashman was that "someone," Chapman replied "yes," according to Rojas.

Although some fans might scoff at the idea of Cashman apologizing, cleaning the slate and swallowing their pride to reunite with the heat-throwing left could be in the Yankees' best interest—especially to end the year with a World Series title.

Chapman's resurrection with the Red Sox

The Cuban left-hander posted a career-worst 4.46 ERA in 2022, then spent two years bouncing from the Royals to the Rangers to the Pirates. But in 2025, Chapman resurrected his career in Boston, posting a career-best 1.17 ERA with 32 saves.

This season, Chapman has been even better, with an insane 0.83 ERA and 14 saves. He's given up just two earned runs over 21 2/3 innings in 18 appearances, all with a 33.7% strikeout rate—lower than his career performance (39.7%) but still significantly better than the MLB average (21.3%).

Aroldis Chapman sends this game to the bottom of the 9th with some absolute HEAT! pic.twitter.com/ql5r2DCfQJ

— MLB (@MLB) April 18, 2026

The 38-year-old Chapman is enjoying a career renaissance that should end with induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion is 10th all-time with 381 saves, and he's about to pass Hoyt Wilhelm for most career strikeouts as a reliever.

Trade winds blowing in Boston

The last-place Red Sox are expected to hold a fire sale before the Aug. 3 deadline, and Chapman will be one of Boston's most prized pieces on the market, along with right-hander (and ex-Yankee) Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras.

Boston (31-44) enters play Monday 14.5 games behind the Yankees in the American League East and six games back in the AL Wild Card standings.

The first-place Yankees, meanwhile, have a 14.8% chance of winning the World Series, according to FanGraphs. Only the Dodgers (24.2%) have better odds. If the Yankees want to close the gap, finding more consistency in the back end of the bullpen will certainly help. Pairing Chapman with David Bednar makes too much sense if the club wants to win its first World Series title since 2009.

Manager Aaron Boone said he stands by the 2022 decision to exclude Chapman from the roster.

"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," Boone said, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "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."

Cost for Chapman

Yes, Chapman said last year that he would rather retire on the spot than suit up again for the Yankees.

And yes, this year, the flame-thrower is demanding an apology.

But it shouldn't take much for the Yankees to pry the 17-year veteran from the Red Sox since the lefty has a one-year, $13.3 million contract, which includes a $13 million option for 2027 if he pitches at least 40 innings in 2026 and passes a postseason physical.

Even though the Red Sox are a rival team, Aroldis Chapman is still an attainable trade target for the Yankees. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Given Chapman's age and contract, Cashman likely won't have to give up top prospects to significantly improve his bullpen for the stretch run by bringing the reliever back to New York for a third tour of duty.

If all it will take is an apology, then Yankee pride must take precedent over personal pride in the Bronx.

However that seems unlikely, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, as he was told the following by Yankees sources:

• "Not happening."
• "No chance."
• "He's a headache."

Should that be the case, Cashman needs to be ready to eat some humble pie if the bullpen prevents the Yankees from snapping their 17-year World Series slump.