Will Red Sox Re-Sign Aroldis Chapman? Closer’s Future Comes Into Focus

It’s not too often an athlete has a career season in his sunset years. But that’s exactly what closer Aroldis Chapman is doing for the Boston Red Sox.

The 37-year-old Chapman has a career-low 1.04 ERA as the anchor of the Red Sox bullpen and is a big reason why Boston sits atop the American League Wild Card standings.

Chapman, who’s seventh in the majors with 26 saves, joined the Red Sox in December on a one-year, $10.75 million contract. Which means he will be a free agent following the World Series. And you can bet the eight-time All-Star will be in demand. So what are the chances he returns to the Red Sox in 2026?

“Word is, the Red Sox would like to bring back Aroldis Chapman, who’s having his best year (no hits allowed for a month) and is said to love Boston,” the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported Thursday.

Backing up what Heyman wrote is what Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said about re-signing Chapman, according to Masslive.com’s Sean McAdam.

“Those conversations are always evolving, but based on the feedback I’ve gotten from Aroldis, he’s enjoyed his time in Boston, the city, the fan base, the coaching staff his teammates. … And this has worked out really, really well for us, so of course (extending him) is something we’d want to consider.

“It will take two sides, but this guy is having a historic season for a reliever. Certainly there’s reason to be skeptical as players reach their late 30s, but if you had to bet on somebody, the way he keeps himself in shape and how physically strong he is, that’s the type of guy you’d want to bet on,” Breslow added.

And here’s some food for thought: the eight-time All-Star could garner votes for the American League Cy Young Award.

“It’s also not out of the question that Chapman could get some support,” McAdam wrote. “Gone are the days when relievers regularly competed for the Cy Young — from 1975 to 1984, four closers won the award — but with the ballot now featuring 10 pitchers, Chapman deserves some support. He clearly has been the most dominant closer in the league.”

Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet and Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal are the AL Cy Young front-runners. But Chapman just might have a shot at being the first American League reliever to win the Cy Young Award since former Red Sox star Dennis Eckersley did so for the Oakland A’s in 1992.