With each passing day, it’s becoming more and more likely that the Boston Red Sox are going to be selling at the MLB trade deadline on August 3. There are some players that teams would covet.
Just who Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow decides to make available remains to be seen. One of the players who could be moved is closer Aroldis Chapman. Several teams would be lined up to acquire him. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report predicted that Chapman would get moved to a familiar team.
Boston Red Sox Predicted To Trade Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs
One team that needs a closer at the backend of their bullpen is the Chicago Cubs. They enter their Holiday Weekend series at home against the St. Louis Cardinals, five games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central Division. They are holding down the first NL wild-card spot.
Despite a lengthy losing streak earlier this year, the Cubs are back and in a postseason spot as the MLB All-Stat Break approaches. However, Miller has one stat that is rather eye-opening.
“Did you know that the 49-win Chicago Cubs only have 15 saves this season? Or that no one on the team has saved more than three games?,” asked Miller. “Granted, 21 of those 49 wins were by at least five runs, and 10 of the remaining 28 were won in walk-off fashion.”
So it’s either boom or bust for the Cubs each day. However, the closer to the end of the season they get, the closer the games are going to be. That’s where the need for a closer comes in. Chapman, an eight-time All-Star, would be the best one available over the next month.
The save opportunities have been few and far between in Boston as well. However, despite a hiccup against the New York Yankees on June 28 when he blew a 2-0 lead in the ninth, he has been lights out this season. As far as the Cubs go, they are also going to need starting pitching. If they don’t address that, then adding a closer might be a moot point.
Boston Red Sox Facing Some Tough Trade Deadline Decisions
Breslow is going to be facing some tough decisions. There is going to be a lot of chatter surrounding Boston. They are coming off a 5-2 homestand and begin a nine-game road trip against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in Southern California. They also have stops against the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets. The return for Chapman could be a decent one for the Red Sox.
“Chapman is the most intriguing closer believed to be on the trade block. He successfully converted each of his first 14 save chances prior to a couple of hiccups in late June, but hard to argue with 16-for-18 on the year and nearly 400 saves in his career,” wrote Miller.
Chapman makes $13 million this season and gets another $13 million in 2027. Money shouldn’t be an issue with the Cubs, especially for a closer who helped them win the World Series 10 years ago. Could history repeat itself a decade later?
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