Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman reportedly says if Yankees trade for him, GM Brian Cashman should apologize to LHP first
· Yahoo Sports
Aroldis Chapman's disdain for how the New York Yankees handled his final season in the Bronx is well known at this point. This past October, three years after his last go-around with the Yankees came to a premature end once he was left off the playoff roster for missing a mandatory practice leading up to the team's 2022 ALDS, the flamethrowing reliever said he would "retire on the spot" before pitching for the franchise again. He uttered that remark, and others, while appearing on the "Swing Completo" podcast.
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That hypothetical has resurfaced this season now that Chapman's Boston Red Sox have the look of a trade-deadline seller. The left-handed hurler said that if the Yankees do in fact trade for him, they'll owe him something, ESPN's Enrique Rojas reported on Thursday.
"What happened, happened," Chapman said, per ESPN. "If something like this were to happen, I believe someone from this organization should apologize first."
Chapman was then reportedly asked if that "someone" is Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
The 38-year-old Cuban southpaw answered, "Yes," according to ESPN.
The contentious final chapter of Chapman's second stint with the Yankees is layered. Of course, his first stay in New York occurred in 2016 before he was dealt midseason to the Chicago Cubs, whom he helped win a World Series title later that season.
Following that momentous championship in the Windy City, he signed a then-record reliever deal with the Yankees, inking a five-year, $86 million contract.
That marked the beginning of Chapman's most recent, and significantly lengthier, run with the club. Over the next six seasons, he appeared in 284 games for New York, piling up 133 of his now-380 career saves, as well as 409 strikeouts. Amid that span, he earned All-Star nods in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
In 2022, though, he struggled mightily. Early in the season, Chapman missed time due to Achilles tendinitis. He wound up losing the closer job to Clay Holmes. Later, he landed on the injured list because of an infection on his left leg that he got from a tattoo. Plus, he clocked out with a career-worst 4.46 ERA.
The fallout of his missed practice, in particular, seems to have left a lasting stain on Chapman's relationship with the Yankees' front office. Chapman claims that, back then, he had the green light to skip the workout and go to Miami, but Cashman accused the pitcher of insubordination, as chronicled Thursday by ESPN.
Since leaving New York, Chapman has acquired another World Series ring. He was part of the Texas Rangers squad that won it all in 2023. His time with the Rangers was sandwiched between brief stints with Kansas City Royals and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He’s given Father Time a run for his money in Boston, where Chapman’s excelled with the Red Sox. Last year, he made his eighth All-Star team. This season, he’s allowed only one run in 19 2/3 innings of relief work.
Right now, he’s on a one-year, $13.3 million deal that includes a vesting option for 2027.
"I'm in a position right now where I'm under contract, and I don't have any control over my contract," Chapman said, per ESPN. "I don't have any clauses or anything with any team, but [going to New York] would be something that, first of all, I would have to talk to the manager about. Sit down and talk and see what would happen."