Aroldis Chapman just walked back weird Yankees demand at All-Star Game

The Boston Red Sox's 14-2 surge before the All-Star Game has likely taken them off the "Sellers" list. Say what you will about their schedule - and I'll say it very loudly and repeatedly, they beat the banged-up Yankees, Angels, Mets, and honestly probably actually good White Sox - but they're swaggering now. It's the 2025 Patriots playbook to perfection. Play the losers on your schedule, beat 'em up, don't apologize. The Yankees are, of course, among those losers.

Boston's trip up the standings means that a very awkward question first posed a month ago is probably irrelevant now: Would the Yankees, in need of relief help, welcome Aroldis Chapman home?

We answered that question every time it was asked with an emphatic no, and thankfully, Chapman made it weird and sent warning signs to the Yankees before it got very far. When Boston was down in the dumps, Chapman insinuated that Brian Cashman owed him an apology for the end of his 2022 season. Then, when asked to clarify, he dropped the insinuation and outright said it.

"What happened, happened," Chapman said [to ESPN]. "If something like this were to happen, I believe someone from this organization should apologize first."

When asked whether Cashman was that "someone," Chapman replied "yes."

At the All-Star Game, and with a trade now conveniently off the table, Chapman sung a different, more mature tune.

Aroldis Chapman tries to quiet controversy at All-Star Game, but Red Sox fans created a new one for him

Chapman now claims he's "turned the page" on demanding an apology from the Yankees, per Jon Heyman. That's very kind of him, considering he was the one who quit on the team after missing time midseason with an infected tattoo, bolting to Miami when he wasn't immediately guaranteed a playoff roster spot. He also, apparently, had never heard of "locating his pitches" until he defected for the Red Sox last year. But it's the thought that counts.

Though Chapman tried to walk back his Yankees comments, Red Sox fans ignited a controversy with a different AL East team when Blue Jays manager John Schneider pulled their closer with two outs in the ninth so Tampa Bay Rays first-time All-Star Bryan Baker could close out the game instead. Sox fans, who believe themselves to be at the center of the baseball universe at all times - how many times did we hear about the Sonny Gray snub, my God - apparently think 2026 Chapman has earned the same rights and respect as 2013 Mariano Rivera.

We can all but guarantee Chapman couldn't care less about closing out the All-Star Game in his ninth selection. But he sure does care about the Yankees. And neither '26 Chappy or '13 Rivera will be a member of this year's roster in the Bronx.

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