Heading into the season, the Boston Red Sox were widely considered a top contender in the American League after a flurry of offseason moves. However, just a few months later, other teams are now eyeing Boston’s roster as a potential source of trade talent.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, several MLB scouts have identified reliever Aroldis Chapman as a prime trade target—assuming Boston continues to slide in the AL East standings.
Chapman, who owns a 1.96 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 31 strikeouts to 8 walks, and has held opponents to a .179 batting average and .524 OPS over 23 innings, has quietly become one of the more effective bullpen arms this year. Despite a respectable 3.88 ERA from the pitching staff in May, the Red Sox stumbled to an 11–17 record and now have the fifth-worst mark in the AL. They’ve fallen closer to last-place Baltimore than to the division-leading Yankees.
If Boston doesn’t reverse course soon, Chapman could become a coveted midseason rental for playoff hopefuls needing relief help. He currently ranks 16th among relievers in strikeout rate (33.7%), 19th in K-BB rate (25%), and sits in the 90th percentile for expected ERA and 96th percentile in Whiff rate, per Baseball Savant.
So far, the Red Sox haven’t signaled they’re open to selling. But with a tough June slate—including six games versus the Yankees and series against the Mariners and Giants—they risk falling further out of the Wild Card chase. Should that happen, a Chapman trade becomes more likely.
Any acquiring team would be responsible for roughly half of Chapman’s $10.75 million salary. Given his age (37) and rental status, the return in a trade would likely be modest.
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