MLB rumors: Yankees failed trade, Braves dodge trade bullet, Red Sox hyping moves

MLB rumors: Braves dodged a bullet with first big trade

The first big trade of the MLB season went through on Friday, with Aroldis Chapman being moved from the Kansas City Royals to the Texas Rangers. Chapman signed a one-year deal with the Royals this offseason to help reclaim his reputation after a troublesome year in the Yankees bullpen in 2022.

Chapman did that and then some, returning to his status of dominant closer with Kansas City. He now gets to go to a contender with one of the best pitching staffs in the league, and the Royals cash in.

Another winner in this whole thing was the Atlanta Braves, in my opinion. While the Braves have been dominant from the start of the year, they’re still in a talent-dense division that could come alive at any time. The New York Mets have plenty of Steve Cohen’s money on the table and have an edict to win, and I think they would have been another good destination for Chapman.

Mets closer Edwin Diaz, who sustained an injury preseason during the World Baseball Classic, has said he hopes to return this year, but the Mets can’t count on him coming back to full form right from the jump. You have to think the Mets were considering adding Chapman, which would have been workable for the Braves, but unideal to have him in division.

Instead, the Mets see Chapman stay not only out of the NL East, but away from their side of the MLB altogether. They won’t have to deal with him until the World Series, at the earliest in the postseason picture.