Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman takes aim at former team

There's no love lost for Aroldis Chapman when it comes to the New York Yankees. 

The Boston Red Sox closer aired out public grievances against one of his former teams on the "Swing Completo" podcast when asked whether he would ever consider a reunion in the Bronx, saying he felt "disrespected" during his time in pinstripes and wouldn't return there "even dead."

Chapman, who turns 38 next February, is coming off a revival campaign that saw him pitch to a 1.17 ERA as he saved 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 entered manager Alex Cora's circle of trust in a Red Sox bullpen that wound up finishing with the best ERA in all of MLB (3.41). 

Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman was not fond of his time with the Yankees

In part because of Chapman's heroics this season, Boston made the playoffs for the first time since 2021, though it lost to the Yankees in a three-game AL Wild Card series. 

But those in New York won't remember Chapman's playoff performances kindly, especially after serving 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 for missing a mandatory workout.

It's safe to say that Chapman's tenure in the Bronx wasn't exactly smooth sailing, but could this public beef open up a new chapter in the rivalry? If nothing else, it at least provides some intrigue around a Yankees-Red Sox dynamic that has certainly lacked spark in recent years. 

Between Chapman and Yankees' pitcher Cam Schlittler's "F Boston" comments, both fan bases can expect to look forward to more jabs in 2026.