Aroldis Chapman’s recent hiccup shouldn’t change the Boston Red Sox’s bigger picture.
The left-hander was a major bright spot in his first year with Boston, putting together a 1.17 ERA with 32 saves in 61.1 innings and even landing seventh in AL Cy Young voting. He’s been solid again this season, too, with a 2.19 ERA and 16 saves in 24.2 innings. But the last few outings have been rough enough to raise eyebrows, and that matters with the trade deadline approaching.
Chapman has allowed at least one earned run in three of his last six appearances. That stretch includes blown saves against the Colorado Rockies on Jun. 22, a game Boston lost 3-2, and the New York Yankees on Jun. 28, a game the Red Sox still won 5-4 in 10 innings.
A six-game sample doesn’t erase what he’s done over the last season and a half, but at 38 years old, he may not have many chances left to boost his value. If this is more than a blip, Boston could be staring at the first real sign of decline.
That decision lands in the middle of an odd spot for the Red Sox. They’re 36-46, sitting in last place in the division, with only three American League teams below them: the Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals. At the same time, they just swept the Yankees in four games and are only 4.5 games out of the third AL Wild Card position.
There’s still plenty of season left for Boston to make a run. But even with the recent surge, the question remains the same: are the Red Sox built to do anything serious in October?
The answer from the source material is no. That’s why the deadline path still points toward selling, and Chapman should be part of that conversation.
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Mickey Gasper was the odd man out, with the Red Sox optioning the catcher despite his solid work in limited action. Interim manager Chad Tracy said the move was about avoiding three catchers and keeping the bench flexible, a reminder that even a useful performer can be squeezed out when a team is trying to make every roster spot count. [Read more 🡒]