The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers are two teams that are headed in opposite directions. These two teams met in the 2018 World Series, with Boston winning in five games. However, the Dodgers have the best record in Major League Baseball while the Red Sox have the worst record in the American League.
The Red Sox appear to be trending towards selling at the trade deadline, and among their top trade chips is left-hander Aroldis Chapman, who is having one of the best seasons of his career, posting a 2.08 ERA and recording 14 saves in his 23 appearances.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed five candidates to move if Boston sells, with Chapman being one of them. The Dodgers were listed among the top potential fits.
“Chapman successfully converted each of his first 14 save opportunities this season, posting a 0.83 ERA in 22 appearances before suffering his first blown save since last July on Monday night in Colorado. His fastball is averaging 97.4 mph, putting him in the 90th percentile in the league, while his 0.9 fWAR ranks 12th among all Major League relievers and seventh in the American League,” Feinsand wrote.
“Will another team want to roll the dice that Chapman can continue his dominance at age 39? Given that the two teams that have acquired him at the Trade Deadline during his career (2016 Cubs, 2023 Rangers) both went on to win the World Series that season, it’s a gamble worth pursuing.”
What Can Red Sox Get for Chapman?
The Red Sox will need a solid prospect or two if they are going to trade Chapman. But each time Chapman has been traded, the selling team brought back some good players. When the New York Yankees sent him to the Chicago Cubs, Gleyber Torres went back to New York in the deal, and the Kansas City Royals landed Cole Ragans from the Texas Rangers.
In particular, the Red Sox lack right-handed bats, so if they could land somebody like Mike Sirota, Los Angeles’ No. 4 ranked prospect, they could have a solid bat ready for the future. Prospects like Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope make sense, but they are left-handed bats, and the Red Sox have too many of those at the moment.
What it Would Mean for Dodgers?
On the opposite side, the Dodgers would have a trusted late-inning arm that can close or be used as a setup man. Chapman does prefer pitching in the ninth inning, as Feinsand notes, so that is something they will have to keep in mind if they get Edwin Diaz back from the injured list.
But their bullpen would be even stronger than it currently is, and they would have a great chance to win another title, which is fitting, considering that both times Chapman has been traded he has won a ring.
It will be interesting to see if the two sides can come together for a deal, but it would be a case of the Dodgers only getting stronger and strengthening their case for a three-peat this October.
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