Aroldis Chapman spent more time with the New York Yankees than with any other team during his notable career, but it’s unlikely he’ll be wearing the iconic interlocking “NY” cap on his potential Hall of Fame plaque.
His tenure in the Bronx was turbulent, marked by several postseason meltdowns — including season-ending home runs — and ultimately being left off the playoff roster in his final year with the team. Since then, the 37-year-old flamethrower has revitalized his career while pitching for four other clubs, among them the Yankees’ longtime rivals, the Boston Red Sox.
After putting up arguably his best season ever in year one as a Red Sox, Chapman signed a one-year extension to keep him in Boston in the middle of August. There’s no reason to think he’d return to the Yankees at any point, but he still wanted to make it clear recently that he wouldn’t consider doing so under any circumstances.
Chapman slams Yankees, shuts down reunion possibility
During a recent appearance on the “Swing Completo” podcast, Chapman said, in no uncertain terms, that he’d never be willing to don a Yankees uniform again.
“No way. Not even dead,” Chapman said in Spanish, in a clip posted to the podcast’s Instagram page. “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.
“I dealt with a lot of disrespect there. 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.”
Chapman went on to say that he maintained good relationships with his teammates from his Yankees days, and harbored no grudge against manager Aaron Boone. But he blamed “the bosses” (aka general manager Brian Cashman and the front office) for wanting him out.
In defense of the Yankees’ brass, Chapman was a negative-WAR reliever in 2022 and also missed time on the injured list due to a botched tattoo. It was easy to see why they wouldn’t have wanted to broker a reunion in free agency, but the lefty did go on to win a World Series the next season as a member of the Texas Rangers.
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