“They lied, they wanted to get rid of me”: Pitcher takes coldest revenge against Yankees

Since Aroldis Chapman signed with Boston in December, the first series between the Red Sox and Yankees in the 2025 MLB season was marked on the calendar. The Cuban reliever’s past with the Bronx Bombers, his controversial departure from the franchise and the fact that he now wears the colors of his arch-rival were reason enough to be on the lookout for a reunion

And finally the day came. On Saturday, in front of a packed Yankee Stadium with more than 47,000 fans, Chapman climbed the mound and reminded everyone that he is still a dominant pitcher at 37 years of age. The left-hander put on a power show that the Big Apple fans love so much and dispatched the New Yorkers in the blink of an eye

Of the 11 pitches he threw, the Cuban surpassed 100 mph on six occasions and recorded his 10th save of the season after retiring the three batters he faced in order, including a strikeout of Jazz Chisholm Jr. It was another strong demonstration that keeps him on a winning streak, as in his last 10 appearances he has allowed only one run, with a dozen strikeouts

With this save, Chapman consummated his coldest revenge against his former team. The fact that he hung a zero and secured a victory in the heart of the Bronx in a Red Sox uniform has special value, especially after not leaving on the best terms in 2022

Chapman-Yankees, the reasons for a divorce

In 2018, Aroldis Chapman agreed to an $86 million contract with the Yankees for five seasons, at the time the highest signing for a reliever in the Major League Baseball market. After several seasons with the team, his closure came in 2022 in the worst possible way

That year, the Cuban did not do well and, to make matters worse, he spent several days on the injured list due to a tattoo infection. “I had done others in the middle of previous seasons, even in the World Series with Chicago. I always used a protective cream, but one day I got dressed quickly and forgot to put on the medicine. After the game, when I was going to take a shower, I took off my sock, the skin lifted and that caused me an infection,” said the Caribbean pitcher to Swing Completo

“When I was going to take a bath, I took off my sock, the skin lifted and that caused an infection”

Aroldis Chapman

That situation, although no one said anything, deteriorated the relationship between Chapman and the Yankees’ management, who shortly afterwards got their revenge in the worst possible way when they left the reliever off the postseason roster

We finished the regular season in Texas on a Wednesday, but we had four days off. I told the bosses that I wanted to go home to Florida to relax a little with the family and recharge my batteries because I had not had a good time. The idea was to join the team the following Saturday

“They authorized me, even the travel secretary organized the flight and the cars that had to pick me up on my return. But on Friday the general manager called me to see why I had not shown up for training. I explained that the agreement was to join on Saturday and he did not understand. Later they called me again and told me to stay at home,” Chapman recalled in another interview with TUDN

“I think that, by the way they were treating me and how they were doing things, they were looking for me to do something, to disrespect someone or commit some indiscipline. They lied, they wanted to get rid of me,” said the Cuban, who ended his time in New York

The resurgence

When Aroldis Chapman ended his time with the Yankees, many thought his career in the Major Leagues was over, not only because of the shadow of indiscipline and doubts about his commitment, but also because his performance had dropped considerably

However, the Cuban found his best form, although not as a closer, but pitching between the seventh and eighth innings. His great work ethic, tremendous physical strength and powerful arsenal allowed him to leave a good impression in Kansas, Pittsburgh and Texas, where he won a World Series in 2023

Then came the opportunity to go to the Red Sox, which he has not wasted. The Cuban has returned to his role as a closer, in which he has already reached 345 saves in his career, 15th all-time.