Aroldis Chapman was one of four former All-Stars – along with Garrett Crochet, Alex Bregman, and Walker Buehler – to join the Boston Red Sox this offseason. His one-year, $10.75 million deal did not draw the attention of the franchise’s other moves as the 37-year-old has not been a full-time closer since 2021.
Chapman entered Spring Training with an opportunity to break camp as the closer, battling with Liam Hendriks and Justin Slaten for the role. The seven-time All-Star has emerged as the favorite to get the first crack at the gig, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, who wrote:
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – MARCH 5: Aroldis Chapman #44 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during a Grapefruit League game against the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida on March 5, 2025. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
The closer role remains officially unclaimed, but with just days left in Florida, Aroldis Chapman appears to have become the in-house favorite to close games to start the season. Liam Hendriks has seemingly corrected some of his command issues from earlier in camp, but the quality of Chapman’s stuff has been undeniable. Second-year righty Justin Slaten, for now, seems best suited for a high-leverage role, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive
Chapman has pitched well in six Spring Training appearances as he is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA and ten strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. The southpaw flamethrower has plenty of experience closing out games as his 335 career saves rank third among active pitchers – trailing Kenley Jansen, 447, and Craig Kimbrel, 440.
Jansen and Kimbrel each had stints with the Red Sox, with the former leaving the team over the past offseason. The former earned one All-Star appearance during his tenure with the franchise, while the latter earned three. Chapman will look to replicate their success by earning his first All-Star appearance since 2021.
