The Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners are two teams that seem to be going in opposite directions. Boston is at the bottom of the American League East with a 33-46 record, while Seattle, despite being at an even .500, are leading the American League West.
Seattle will likely look to add to its bullpen at the trade deadline, as they need a little more depth there. The Red Sox still have hope in the wild card race, but seem to be heading towards selling in the coming weeks.
Zachary D. Rymer put together a few mock trades for top candidates from the Red Sox. One had left-hander Aroldis Chapman landing with the Mariners in exchange for No. 8 prospect and catcher Luke Stevenson.
“Even after some recent hiccups, Aroldis Chapman still has a 1.41 ERA in his two seasons with the Red Sox,” Rymer wrote. “It’s some of the best pitching he’s done in a 17-year career, and that’s saying something.
“Because he’s A) a rental and B) the best reliever on the market, Chapman only makes sense for teams who need to see pursuing him as being the key to unlocking a World Series run. The Mariners fit the bill, as adding another late-inning arm to an undermanned bullpen would make their pitching staff the best in the AL—if it isn’t already.”
How It Helps the Mariners
The Mariners have the third-best bullpen ERA in the American League with a 3.59 mark, but some reinforcements certainly can’t hurt, and bullpen help is always at a premium at the trade deadline.
Chapman is a rental, so he shouldn’t cost much in terms of quantity of prospects, but the Mariners could follow in the footsteps of the 2016 Chicago Cubs and 2023 Texas Rangers, two teams who acquired Chapman at the trade deadline and went on to win the World Series.
But at the very least, the 38-year-old left-hander is somebody who could be an option in the closer spot along with Andres Munoz. Chapman may prefer to pitch in the ninth inning, but given the strong numbers he has put up this season, he could be a real candidate to pitch in that spot.
He owns a 1.99 ERA and has recorded 15 saves in his 24 appearances with the Red Sox this season. He is an eight-time All-Star and two-time AL Reliever of the Year, and having that presence in the bullpen could give Seattle a big advantage as they try to win another AL West title and make a push towards the World Series again.
Red Sox Not Done Yet
The one complicating factor to this potential deal would be where the Red Sox are in the standings. They are only five games back in the wild card race, and if they start to gain ground, then perhaps they’ll choose to hold onto Chapman.
Boston was a wild card team last year, and because the AL is weaker this year, there is still a chance for them to overcome the odds and not have to sell pieces off. But they could get a good return for Chapman.
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