Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman Says He'd 'Retire' If He Got Traded Back to Yankees

It's safe to say that Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman still harbors some ill will toward the New York Yankees for how the team handled his final season in the Big Apple back in 2022.

"No way. Not even dead," Chapman said during an appearance on the Swing Completo podcast when asked if he would ever want to play for the Yankees again (h/t Justin Terranova of the New York Post). "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."

Chapman, an eight-time All-Star and two-time champion, spent parts of seven seasons with the Yankees (2016-22) and had a number of good seasons with the team. But in 2022 he had a rough season and an infection he suffered from a leg tattoo cost him the final month of the regular season and the closer job.

The Yankees then left him off the postseason roster after he didn't show up for a mandatory workout.

"I dealt with a lot of disrespect there. I put up with a lot of things," Chapman said Monday. "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."

He added that he never had any issues with the players or manager Aaron Boone, though the front office and ownership was another story.

"I got along well with all the players, never had a problem with anybody, even the manager. We're friends and we talk and everything," he said. "The bosses are the ones who make those decisions."

His disdain for the Yankees will only further endear him to Red Sox fans, who already were thrilled with Chapman after his epic 2025 season (5-3 with a 1.17 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 32 saves in 34 opportunities and 85 strikeouts in 61.1 innings).

The Red Sox didn't hesitate to sign the 37-year-old closer for another season, signing him in August to a one-year, $13.3 million extension that includes a vesting option for $13 million in the 2027 campaign if he pitches 40 innings in 2026.

"This guy has been great for us, and not only on the field," manager Alex Cora told reporters at the time. "What he's done on the field is amazing."

It's a bonus that he seems to despise the Yankees as much as everybody else in Boston.