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This Pirates-Red Sox trade for Aroldis Chapman would fix Pittsburgh's bullpen

The Pirates should swing a trade for an old friend.
ByMark Powell|
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Wild Card Series - Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees - Game One
Wild Card Series - Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees - Game One | Ishika Samant/GettyImages

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • The Pittsburgh Pirates need bullpen help after another blown save against the Houston Astros.
  • A trade for Aroldis Chapman could solve their problems but would require significant prospect capital from the organization.
  • The decision hinges on whether Pittsburgh is willing to trade multiple top prospects for immediate relief help this season.

Enough is enough. The Pittsburgh Pirates have 12 blown saves on the season following their loss to the Houston Astros on Thursday night. Something has to give at the back end of Pittsburgh's bullpen if they're to make the postseason for the first time since the early 2010's.

The good news for the Pirates is they don't have many weaknesses. They're a top-5 offense in baseball by most metrics and have an elite starting rotation, headlined by Paul Skenes. The bullpen is their most obvious need, and there should be plenty of available options at the trade deadline. This includes an old friend in Aroldis Chapman, who spent the 2024 season in Pittsburgh and had a 3.79 ERA.

What a Pirates trade for Aroldis Chapman would look like

Aroldis Chapman
Boston Red Sox v. Cleveland Guardians | Sean Finucane/GettyImages

Any trade for Chapman won't come cheap. The Red Sox closer has a 0.48 ERA this season with 12 saves. He's been one of the best relief pitchers in the American League and is on an affordable contract with a mutual option for 2027. These two organizations are quite familiar with one another, as Ben Cherington used to work in the Red Sox front office. Pittsburgh also swung a trade for Jhostynxon Garcia this past winter.

Needless to say, Cherington won't be able to pull a fast one on his former team this time around. Any deal for Chapman will have to include at least one, if not two top-10 prospects in the Pirates organization.

Would the Pirates make this trade?

Considering how desperate the Pirates are for bullpen help — they rank 17th in fWAR in that department — Pittsburgh should jump at the opportunity to acquire Chapman. There's always a chance Aroldis takes a step back when forced into new scenery, but he's adapted quite well as his velocity has dipped the past few years. More than ever before, Chapman is more reliant on his secondary pitches, and he's still able to pump a 95+ MPH fastball by hitters when he needs to.

Verdict: Yes

Would the Red Sox make this trade?

If the Red Sox take this offer, they are choosing quantity over quality. Boston would acquire the Pirates Nos. 7, 14 and 17 prospects in return for one of the top closers in the sport this season. That's not a bad haul considering Chapman is also 38 years old.

Kelly projects as a starting pitcher and has a 65-grade fastball. He needs to develop the breaking pitches in his arsenal more before he can be relied upon at the next level, but he projects as a rotation piece. Alfonzo is a sound catcher in the field but doesn't offer much with his bat. The Red Sox would hope to develop Alonzo as organizational depth in the long term. Gray is an underrated piece, and was a competitive balance pick just last season. He's hitting the cover off the ball in Bradenton this year, but he still has a long way to go to reach the majors.

In the end, I assume the Red Sox make this trade, give or take a few added pieces, thanks to their relationship with Cherington.

Verdict: Yes

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