There is no love lost for Aroldis Chapman when it comes to the New York Yankees.
The Boston Red Sox closer aired public grievances against one of his former teams on the “Swing Completo” podcast when asked if he would ever consider a reunion in the Bronx. He said he felt “disrespected” during his time in pinstripes and would not return there “even dead.”
Chapman, who turns 38 next February, is coming off a revival campaign in which he pitched a 1.17 ERA while saving 32 games for the Red Sox in 2025. That earned the veteran southpaw a one-year contract extension for the 2026 season, as he quickly joined manager Alex Cora’s circle of trust in a Red Sox bullpen that ultimately finished with the best ERA in all of MLB (3.41).
Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman did not love his time with the Yankees
Thanks in part to Chapman’s heroics this season, Boston made the playoffs for the first time since 2021, although it lost to the Yankees in a three-game AL Wild Card series.
But those in New York won’t remember Chapman’s playoff performance kindly, especially after he served up an infamous walk-off home run in both the 2017 and 2019 ALCS against the hated Houston Astros, the latter of which sent the Yankees home for good. He was also left off the Yankees’ 2022 postseason roster after missing a mandatory workout.
It’s safe to say that Chapman’s tenure in the Bronx hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing, but could this public beef open a new chapter in the rivalry? If nothing else, it at least offers some intrigue surrounding a Yankees-Red Sox dynamic that certainly hasn’t had a spark in recent years.
Between Chapman and Yankees’ pitcher Cam Schlittler’s “FBoston” In the commentary, both fanbases can expect more jokes to follow in 2026.
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