Aroldis Chapman Is About To Get Traded, And Nobody Trusts Craig Breslow To Do It Right

Man, what a brutal one. That 4-5 loss to Detroit stings, doesn't it? Just when you think we're finding our rhythm, boom, another gut punch. But hey, sometimes you gotta look at other teams' dumpster fires to feel a little better, right? Because national baseball reporter Bob Nightengale just dropped a bombshell bigger than a Julio Rodriguez moonshot: The Red Sox are apparently ready to ship off their best healthy player, closer Aroldis Chapman! Forget their two-game split with the Yankees this weekend, this is the real story bubbling up from the Bronx.

Boston’s Best Player Is On The Block Already?!

Yeah, you heard that right. Nightengale's National Sunday column laid it out matter-of-factly: Chapman is expected to join his eighth different team, and could be in the postseason with his sixth! This guy is the top reliever on every contender's wish list, rolling with 28 consecutive saves since last season, just one shy of his career best. What's wild is that local reports were saying something totally different about the Sox bullpen just a day before this came out. Usually, when a national guy reports something a team isn't happy about, they leak a rebuttal to a local reporter. Guess what? We've heard crickets since Nightengale's column dropped Sunday morning. That tells you everything, right? Trading Chapman is a 100% sell move, signaling a total rebuild for 2027, or heck, probably 2028 with a lockout looming. Chapman's been awesome for a terrible Red Sox team, so yeah, contenders want him. But it's only June 8. Are they really throwing in the towel this early? In theory, with how bad the American League is, they're only four games back in the Wild Card. Still, there are six teams ahead of them, and their offense is an absolute disaster.

Injuries and Anemic Offense Scream “Sell”

Seriously, this Red Sox team is a mess. At 27-36, their record stinks, and that anemic offense continues to be a problem. You'd need to add a serious bat just to make a dent. And it's not just the everyday lineup. Their ace, Garrett Crochet, hit the 60-day IL on Friday, so he's not even back until June 25 at the earliest. Then there's Roman Anthony, who's been out since May 7 and is still not swinging a bat. Check out the photos from the weekend; he's got some kind of cast or wrap on his right hand. Does it look like he'll be back before July? Nah, doesn't feel like it. Bad record, bad offense, best players injured. All the evidence points to an easy decision to just sell, sell, sell.

But Who’s Making The Trades?

Here's the real gut punch, and the part that makes my blood pressure spike higher than watching Sam Darnold try to escape a sack: Who in their right mind trusts Craig Breslow to handle these trades? No way, man! This guy has been terrible at his job. His trades? Especially bad. Remember Kyle Harrison? They got him from the Giants in the Rafael Devers trade. Harrison barely made an impact in Boston for a few months, then they shipped him to the Brewers in the offseason. Guess what? He's been an absolute stud for Milwaukee, rocking a 7-1 record with a 1.53 ERA and 73 Ks! They traded him for Caleb Durbin, Anthony Seigler, and Andruw Monasterio. That's why the idea of selling is so terrifying; zero faith Breslow makes the right moves. You want to get good returns for guys like Chapman, Whitlock, or even Wilson Contreras? You gotta get rid of Breslow first. Is John Henry willing to do that? I sure hope so, but after him siding with Breslow in that Bres vs. Cora battle, I don't know. There was some buzz about Breslow's job security over the weekend, but nothing solid about him getting canned. So, as we try to shake off that M's loss and look forward to the next game, spare a thought for Boston fans. Heading into a series with Tampa, things are just more of the same: a million back in the AL East, still four back in the Wild Card. Wilson Contreras is still crushing it, Ranger Suarez had a strong outing, and Chapman's scoreless streak rolls on. But Justin Slaten had a disaster on Sunday, Breslow's acquisition Joe La Sorsa gave up a homer in his first at-bat, and Jarren Duran was 1-for-8. This whole situation is a big nothing burger for their fans, and it makes our own early season hiccups feel a little less painful, right?

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.