Red Sox's Alex Bregman, Aroldis Chapman Seen As Trade Candidates in Poll of MLB Execs

Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman and closer Aroldis Chapman are reportedly considered trade candidates by MLB executives, per a recent poll.

In an anonymous poll of MLB execs conducted by Jim Bowden of The Athletic, Chapman was "overwhelmingly" selected as the reliever most likely to be dealt by the July 31 trade deadline, while Bregman was No. 13 on the list of most likely position players to get traded.

While a Chapman trade would come as no surprise since he is a 37-year-old reliever on an expiring contract, a Bregman trade would be far more unexpected.

Bowden noted that some executives believe Bregman could be traded if he and the Red Sox due not come to terms on a contract extension by the trade deadline.

Although Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox last offseason, the contract includes a play opt-out clause after this season.

Bregman's agent, Scott Boras, told Tim Healey of the Boston Globe (h/t ESPN) last week that Bregman is "open to any conversation," including a potential in-season contract extension.

The 31-year-old veteran has been on the injured list since May 23 due to a strained right quadriceps, but he was enjoying a spectacular first season in Boston before landing on the IL.

Through 51 games, Bregman was slashing .299/.385/.553 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI.

Bregman spent his first nine MLB seasons with the Houston Astros, hitting .272 with 191 homers and 663 RBI to go along with two All-Star selections, two World Series wins, one Gold Glove Award and one Silver Slugger Award.

As for Chapman, he is a seven-time All-Star and one-time world Series champ who has experienced a resurgent season in Boston.

After posting a somewhat pedestrian 3.79 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 68 appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, the hard-throwing lefty is 3-2 with a 1.32 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 14 saves and 50 strikeouts over 34 innings so far this season.

This marks Chapman's first season as a primary closer since 2021 when he recorded 30 saves for the New York Yankees. With 349 career saves, Chapman ranks 14th on the all-time MLB list and third among active players.

Whether the Red Sox trade Bregman, Chapman or anyone else at the deadline will likely depend on how they fare as a team over the next month.

Right now, the Red Sox are fourth in the American League East with a 42-44 record, and they have lost seven of their past nine games.

Despite that, Boston is just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot, so it is a legitimate possibility that the Red Sox could go from likely sellers to potential buyers at the deadline if they play well over the next few weeks.