The New York Mets are expected to add to their bullpen at the trade deadline, and it appears it’s only a matter of which reliever(s) they acquire.
Several strong names have been linked to the Mets, and now ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan believe New York could be a good fit for Aroldis Chapman if the Red Sox decide to sell him off.
“You have probably heard this story before, but Chapman is left-handed and his superpower is that he throws really hard (averages just under 100 mph) and throws that heater a lot (over 75% of the time),” wrote McDaniel and Passan. “He’s 37 years old, and he’s still dominant. Best fits: New York Mets, Philadelphia, Detroit.”
The ESPN writers kept it short and sweet when discussing Chapman, so let’s expand on it. The southpaw has appeared in 35 games this season and recorded 14 saves for the Red Sox. In fact, he’s conceded just five earned runs all year, leading to a 1.41 ERA.
Chapman is providing flashbacks to his early years with the Cincinnati Reds when opposing lineups hoped for the best knowing he was going to enter the game. He’s striking out five batters for every one batter he walks this season, a stat that he hasn’t even came close to since the abbreviated 2020 season with the Yankees.
His Baseball Savant page is even more shocking as he’s in the 95th percentile or higher in six different categories, including xERA and chase percentage.
The Red Sox are still hoping to make a push for the playoffs this season, but it will only take one little slip up for them to fall even farther out of contention. If that happens, Chapman should be one of the first players they take calls about.
The Mets would be an ideal landing spot for Chapman as opposing hitters would be completely blindsided not knowing if they would face him or Edwin Diaz. Having two elite closers in the bullpen would set up New York for a deep playoff run once again.
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