The MLB trade deadline is August 3 and the rumor mill is running hot. One name that keeps popping up is Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman. The 38-year-old left-hander is having another solid season, but the Red Sox are sitting in last place in the AL East. That makes him an obvious trade candidate.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies are among the teams interested. He also listed the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox as potential suitors. That is a lot of interest for a guy who turns 39 in February.
Here is the catch with Chapman. He wants to close. He does not want to be a setup man. Feinsand wrote that Chapman has a strong preference to pitch the ninth inning. So any team that trades for him would have to be okay with him finishing games. That could be a complication if a contender already has a closer they trust.
Chapman is currently sitting on a 2.08 ERA through 21.2 innings. He has 29 strikeouts and 14 saves. His WHIP is 1.154. Those numbers look great, but they are a little misleading. Before Monday, his ERA was 0.83. Then he blew his first save of the season in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies. That is baseball. One bad outing can throw everything off.
The Dodgers are a natural fit. They have a deep bullpen but could use another lockdown arm for October. Philadelphia is more interesting. The Phillies have been aggressive this season and might see Chapman as the piece that solidifies their relief corps. Seattle and Chicago are also in the mix, but you have to wonder if either of those teams would be willing to hand over the ninth inning to a guy who is not a long-term piece.
The Red Sox front office has not said much publicly. But they have to be looking at the standings. Boston is 10 games under .500 and trending in the wrong direction. Moving Chapman would bring back prospects and clear some salary. It makes sense for the rebuild they probably should have started last year.
Rumors will keep flying until the deadline passes. Chapman is an eight-time All-Star with a track record in big moments. Some contender is going to take a chance on him. The only question is which one is willing to give him the ninth inning.
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