Aroldis Chapman is not closing the door on a possible Yankees return, but he says one thing would have to happen first: Brian Cashman would need to apologize.
The Boston Red Sox reliever said the way his tenure in New York ended in 2022 still matters to him, even as his name surfaces in trade-deadline chatter and the Yankees are viewed as a team that could use his arm.
Why Chapman Is Back In The Conversation
Boston and Chapman are heading in different directions this season, and that makes a summer trade look possible. If the Red Sox move him before the Aug. 3 deadline, the Yankees are among the clubs that would improve their postseason outlook by adding him.
That possibility carries obvious tension because Chapman spent seven seasons with New York and saved 146 games there from 2016 to 2022. He was also a three-time All-Star with the Yankees, which makes any reunion a complicated but familiar storyline.
The End Of His Time In New York Still Resonates
Chapman told ESPN Deportes that the issue is not forgotten. After a difficult 2022 season, he was left off the playoff roster after missing a mandatory team practice at Yankee Stadium before the AL Division Series.
He said he had permission from the team to go to Miami, while Cashman said the pitcher had been insubordinate. Asked about a possible return, Chapman said, “What happened, happened. If something like this were to happen, I believe someone from this organization should apologize first.”
When asked directly whether Cashman was that person, Chapman said yes.
What Chapman Is Doing Right Now
Chapman has been one of Boston’s most effective players this season. Through 19⅔ innings, he has allowed only one run, struck out 26 batters and converted all 13 of his save chances.
Across 87 games with the Red Sox, he has posted a 1.00 ERA with 45 saves and 111 strikeouts in 81 innings. The left-hander also said he is trying to ignore the noise around his future and focus on his job when he gets the ball.
“Every day you see social media and also people in the press talking and commenting about it,” Chapman told ESPN Deportes about the trade rumors. “… I have no control. At the end of the day, I have no control over that, and I’m just focusing on being able to play, even though I’m not playing much right now. But I’m trying to focus on that, on trying to get the job done when it’s my turn.”
Could A Return Even Happen?
Chapman is 38 and is playing on a one-year, $13.3 million contract. That deal includes a $13 million option for 2027 if he throws at least 40 innings in 2026 and passes a postseason physical.
He said any move to New York would require a conversation first. “I’m in a position right now where I’m under contract and I don’t have any control over my contract,” Chapman said. “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.”
For now, the Red Sox are still buried in last place in the American League East after being swept at Tropicana Field, and Chapman remains one of the few bright spots on the roster. Whether that turns into a trade — and whether the Yankees become part of the answer — may depend on how much the old wound still matters.