The New York Yankees have spent the past few years trying to replace the firepower they once had at the back end of their bullpen. When Aroldis Chapman left, it seemed like the right time to move on — his command had faded, his confidence wavered, and his relationship with the organization had clearly soured. But in 2025, Chapman has turned back the clock in Boston, and now, he’s stirring the pot all over again.
The 37-year-old closer has revived his career with the Red Sox, posting a jaw-dropping 1.17 ERA across 61.1 innings this season. His velocity has crept back toward triple digits, his command looks sharper than ever, and Boston’s staff seems to have unlocked the mental edge he’d lost in New York.
For the Yankees, who landed Devin Williams last offseason and acquired David Bednar at the trade deadline in search of bullpen stability, Chapman’s resurgence is both stunning and painful to watch from afar.
Chapman makes his feelings clear about the Yankees
This week, Chapman appeared on the “Swing Completo” podcast and made headlines with some brutally honest remarks about his former team. When asked if he’d ever consider returning to the Yankees, his answer was as blunt as it gets.
“No way. Not even dead,” Chapman said in a clip shared through Instagram. “If I were told that I was being traded to New York, I’d pack my things and go home. I’ll retire right on the spot if that happens. I’m not crazy. Never again.”
Those words cut deep for a franchise that once built its bullpen around him. Chapman went on to explain that his fallout with the organization stemmed from how he was treated during his final season. “I dealt with a lot of disrespect there,” he said. “I put up with a lot of things. I knew that they just wanted to find a way to get rid of me, but they didn’t know how. And I just dealt with it quietly, kept playing, and doing what I always do.”
A relationship that was doomed to end badly
By the time Chapman’s Yankees tenure ended, the tension was impossible to ignore. In 2022, he skipped the team’s playoff run entirely after learning he wasn’t guaranteed a roster spot. His decision to stay home was viewed internally as abandonment, and the organization wasted no time parting ways. It was a bitter end for a player who had once been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball.
His final season in New York was uninspired, finishing with a 4.46 ERA over 36.1 innings. Chapman looked mentally checked out, his once-feared fastball missing life, and his body language telling the story of a player ready to move on. A fresh start was exactly what he needed, and in 2023, his ERA dropped to 3.09 as he began rebuilding his reputation.
Yankees’ loss becomes Boston’s gain
Now, two years later, Chapman’s resurgence has become a thorn in the Yankees’ side. Watching him dominate in a Red Sox uniform is a cruel twist for fans who once cheered his every ninth-inning appearance. While the Yankees have found capable replacements, there’s no denying how valuable Chapman’s current form would be in the Bronx bullpen.
Sometimes, a change of scenery makes all the difference. For Chapman, it meant finding peace, focus, and command again. For the Yankees, it’s a reminder that talent isn’t everything — trust and respect matter too, and once that was gone, there was never any chance of a reunion.