Aroldis Chapman has some particularly strong feelings about one of his former teams.
In an appearance on the “Swing Completo” podcast, Chapman said he would rather retire than play for the New York Yankees again. The star reliever said he got along with his teammates and coaches, but dealt with “disrespect” from the top of the organization.
“No way. Not even dead. 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 said, via Dayn Perry of CBS Sports. “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 played for the Yankees in 2016, then came back as a free agent that offseason and remained with the team from 2017 through 2022. He made three All-Star teams there, but the two sides had something of a falling out at the end of his tenure there.
In a rather cruel twist of fate for the Yankees, Chapman has once again found his best form, albeit with the Boston Red Sox. He posted a 1.17 ERA last season with 85 strikeouts in 61.1 innings. Perhaps part of that success is being extra motivated against the Yankees, who went just 2-for-20 against him in 2025.
