When it comes to the MLB trade deadline, anything is possible when it comes to the Boston Red Sox. The Chief Baseball Officer, Craig Breslow, is going to have some tough decisions to make.
Boston feels like they are going down the road of a lost season. A 10-21 record at Fenway Park has buried them in the basement of the American League East Division standings. A winning road record of 17-14 makes it even more frustrating. The Red Sox go for a two-game sweep of the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon after Saturday night’s game was rained out in the Bronx.
Unless there is a big unforeseen turnaround coming, Breslow will be selling at the deadline. There are going to be some tough decisions to be made. Bob Nightengale of USA Today hinted at what most fans are beginning to come to grips with: closer Aroldis Chapman will likely be traded.
Boston Red Sox Closer Aroldis Chapman Will Draw Major Trade Interest
Nightengale isn’t breaking any news here that a lot of people didn’t already know. However, Chapman is turning into Breslow’s biggest trade chip by August 3.
“Aroldis Chapman is expected to join his eighth different team, and potentially be in the postseason with his sixth different team. He is the top reliever available on every contender’s target list, converting 28 consecutive saves dating back to last season, one shy of his career record,” wrote Nightengale.
It’s hard not to see Breslow selling high on Chapman. This season, when he’s pitched for Boston, he’s been lights out. In 20 appearances, he has a 0.46 ERA in 19.2 innings with 26 strikeouts and is a perfect 13-for-13 in save opportunities. Last season, he was 32-for-36 in save chances.
Aroldis Chapman Can Be a Playoff Difference-Maker
Over the last two weeks, the hard-throwing left-hander hasn’t worked too much. He needed 16 pitches on Friday night to save a 5-3 win over the Yankees. He walked two and struck out one. His last appearance before that was on May 31 against the Cleveland Guardians.
Before that, well, it had been a while. He worked on May 20 in a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals that completed a sweep. He also earned the save in the May 18 win against KC. Other than that, it’s been a long stretch in between appearances.
At 38 years old, Chapman has already pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Yankees, Texas Rangers, and Red Sox in the postseason. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before it’s a potential sixth team, as Nightengale wrote.
As far as other potential trade chips for Breslow, would he make Garrett Whitlock available? He’s currently on the injured list, but if he comes back strong, it might be hard not to consider it. They reportedly are not fielding calls at this time on their relief pitchers.
There are going to be a lot of decisions to be made by August 3. Breslow is going to have some very tough decisions to make. It feels like this is turning into a lost season for Boston, and selling what they can is the route they should take.
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