Red Sox Urged To Cut Ties With 7-Time All-Star In Bold Deal

The Boston Red Sox's bullpen is loaded with high-octane firepower right now and that starts with All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman.

Right now, he's a seven-time All-Star. But, that very well could change soon when the full rosters for the 2025 All-Star Game are announced. Chapman has been phenomenal after signing a one-year deal with Boston. He is off to one of the best starts to a season in his career and is having at least his best overall season since 2019 and probably even beyond that.

Chapman has appeared in 38 games this season as of writing and has a 1.29 ERA, 15 saves, and a 51-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 35 innings pitched. This is after logging a 3.79 ERA last year in 68 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Even getting Chapman with an ERA in the threes would've been good, but this production right now is next level.

While this is the case, Boston has a 45-45 record with a few weeks to go until the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline and his name has popped up a lot in large part to the fact that he will be a free agent when the season ends. MassLive.com Red Sox insider Sean McAdam weighed in on Chapman and suggested that Boston should move him.

"Aroldis Chapman has been everything the Red Sox could have hoped for — and more — when they signed him last December," McAdam said. "He’s converted all but one save opportunity, cut his walk rate literally in half from a year ago and been a good teammate. His 0.771 WHIP tells you all you need to know about his level of dominance.

"Still, the smart move later this month would be to deal Chapman at the trade deadline — whether the Red Sox view themselves as buyers or sellers or somewhere in between. There’s nothing so superfluous as a great closer on a mediocre team. Almost every contending team could use an upgrade to the back of their bullpen, and Chapman would be viewed as an absolute difference-maker. No other reliever would be in such demand. The Red Sox should sit back and allow teams to outbid one another. Even at 37 and on an expiring contract, Chapman could fetch an elite prospect — as he did when the Kansas City Royals traded him two years ago to Texas and got Cole Ragans in return."

McAdam isn't wrong by any means. If the Red Sox aren't going to truly contend, there isn't necessarily a need for one of the top closers in the game. Especially, when Boston has other guys on the team -- although some are injured -- who could do the job well like Jordan Hicks, Liam Hendriks, and Justin Slaten among others. It would be sad to see Chapman go after the success that he has had this year so far, but if Boston doesn't firmly cement itself as buyers and contenders, it would make sense to move him for the highest price.