Boston Red Sox fans will be pained to hear it, but Aroldis Chapman's name is being thrown around in trade discussions; not by Red Sox people (that we know of!), but by Pittsburgh Pirates fans and analysts hoping to trade for Chapman before the 2026 deadline, reuniting with the dominant closer who pitched for the Pirates in 2024.
Matt Clement, an MLB analyst for Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan, recently proposed the Chapman-Pirates idea.
Red Sox fans, meanwhile, are still processing the reality that Boston is a bad team in 2026, thereby making Chapman trade discussions plausible. Were the Red Sox performing up to pre-season expectations, there would be absolutely no thought from other teams that Chapman might be available.
Pirates Nation wants to trade for Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman
Idea: Our MLB analyst Matt Clement suggests an Aroldis Chapman trade for the Pirates at the deadline. Chapman pitched for the Pirates in 2024. And was the MLB reliever of year in Boston last season.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) May 4, 2026
I would love this move. pic.twitter.com/VEdJMKnVzK
X user @330_maggie responded to the Chapman-Pirates post with a comment that will have Red Sox fans rolling their eyes even more: "Get in line. There’s about 15 other teams that have this idea."
Chapman is currently on a one-year, $13 million deal. The 38-year-old has a $13 million vesting/mutual option for 2027 that activates if he pitches 40 innings in 2026 and passes an end-of-year physical. He also has a $300,000 buyout attached to said mutual option.
So far this season, Chapman has pitched 12 2/3 innings. He's been excellent, tallying a 0.71 ERA, eight saves in eight save opportunities, 16 strikeouts, and a 0.79 WHIP in 13 appearances.
Last year, Chapman was 32 of 34 in save opportunities and took home the American League Reliever of the Year trophy at season's end. Since Boston signed Chapman in December 2024, he's been arguably the best closer in the sport (besides, of course, Mason Miller since he joined the San Diego Padres).
Chapman was solid, but not as effective during his 2024 season with the Pirates: 5-5, 3.79 ERA, 14 of 19 in save opportunities. Nonetheless, the Pirates have been watching what Chapman's done since he left Pittsburgh, and they could definitely use his services amid an incredibly competitive divisional landscape.
Aroldis Chapman would give Pirates an edge in tightly-contested NL East
It's been a tight race in the National League Central so far this season. The Pirates were at the top of the division for a while; the Cincinnati Reds have been there, and now the Chicago Cubs sit in the driver's seat. Then there are the Milwaukee Brewers, who might be the favorites to win the division.
A reliable, electric arm like Chapman's would help ensure that the Pirates take care of business in close games, which ultimately could be the difference between first and last place in the NL East.
This isn't the kind of trade talk that Red Sox fans want to be listening to. If I were to tell you in early March that the Pirates would be a buyer at the deadline and the Red Sox a seller, you would've scoffed, especially if you're a Boston fan. But such is the reality in 2026.
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