Aroldis Chapman Says He’s Over the Yankees Drama. But the Red Sox Complicate Things.

Aroldis Chapman has spent the last two years pitching for the Boston Red Sox, which is about as loud a statement as a player can make about hating the New York Yankees. But now he’s saying maybe he doesn’t hate them quite as much as he used to.

Chapman told the New York Post’s Jon Heyman that he’s “turned the page a long time ago” on the whole ugly saga that ended his first stint in the Bronx. That’s a pretty big shift from where he was even a year ago, when he was adamant he wouldn’t put on Yankees pinstripes again unless someone from the organization apologized for leaving him off the 2022 ALDS roster.

The backstory there is pure tabloid gold. Chapman missed a workout because he flew to Miami to get treatment for a leg infection he got from a tattoo. The Yankees left him off the postseason roster, and Brian Cashman publicly called it “insubordination.” Chapman was furious, and he made it clear he wasn’t going to just let it slide.

But now? He says that’s all in the past. He’s not demanding an apology anymore. He’s just ready to play.

Here’s the problem though: he’s currently a Red Sox. And the Red Sox and Yankees don’t trade with each other very often. When they do, it’s usually for somebody who’s clearly on the way out, not a reliever putting up a 2.20 ERA with 19 saves in 30 games.

Boston is sitting at 46-48, which isn’t exactly tearing the league apart. If they decide to sell at the deadline, Chapman is going to be one of the more attractive rental arms available. Contenders love bullpen help in July. The Yankees absolutely need bullpen help. Their relief corps has been shaky at times, and adding a lefty who still throws 100 mph would be a no-brainer for most teams.

But for the Yankees to get Chapman, they’d have to offer Boston something ridiculous. A godfather offer, as one reporter put it. The Red Sox would almost certainly prefer to send him to the National League or at least to an American League team they don’t hate. And they really hate the Yankees.

There’s also a chance Boston just keeps him. They’ve been creeping closer to .500, and if they think they can make a run in the second half, Chapman is a big part of that. He’s been dominant this season. The stuff is still electric. The command still comes and goes sometimes, but when he’s on, he’s as good as any closer in the game.

For now, the most interesting thing is that Chapman has softened his stance. Whether that actually leads anywhere depends on the Red Sox front office, the trade market, and whether the Yankees are willing to overpay for a reunion with a guy who once called them out for disrespect. That’s a lot of variables. But it’s a better story than it was a month ago.