Will the Boston Red Sox cut ties with Aroldis Chapman before the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline?

That’s going to be the biggest question hanging over the organization ahead of the deadline if the Red Sox aren’t able to fully turn their season around. After taking down the New York Yankees on Friday, Boston has a 27-35 record. The Red Sox’s contest against the Yankees was postponed on Saturday and the two American League East rivals will conclude their brief series at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

Boston clearly has a lot of work to do right now. With the club currently struggling in the standings, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote that Chapman is “expected” to join his eighth different team this summer and get moved.

What Will Boston Do With Aroldis Chapman?

“Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman is expected to join his eighth different team, and potentially be in the postseason with his sixth different team,” Nightengale wrote. “He is the top reliever available on every contender’s target list, converting 28 consecutive saves dating back to last season, one shy of his career record.”

If the Red Sox are eight games below .500 at the beginning of August, like they are now, then this idea unfortunately, would make sense. But it’s important to note that on Saturday, The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported that Boston has fielded calls on Chapman, Justin Slaten, and Garrett Whitlock but has told teams that the trio currently isn’t available. The idea of Chapman being moved is fully contingent on whether the Red Sox can make progress in the standings over the next two months.

Right now, the Red Sox are just three games out of an American League Wild Card spot, so it’s not the craziest idea in the world to believe they can make up some ground here. Plus, let’s not forget that some point Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony will be able to return.

So, right now, the Red Sox are in a tough spot, which gives some life to Nightengale’s point, but it’s still a bit too early to fully jump to conclusions. If the Red Sox can go on a little run, then all of a sudden the perception will shift around Boston. If not, then the club will end up getting a haul in exchange for Chapman if the club actually does end up moving him before the deadline.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade rumors seem to evolve weekly, but two teams have been linked to the former NBA champion and league MVP more than any others: the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

Since trade rumors initially picked up early in the offseason, it’s believed that Antetokounmpo’s preferred trade destination is a title contender in the Eastern Conference. Outside of the obvious Knicks, who are up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, there are a handful of teams that fit that bill: Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Orlando could be considered in that tier of Eastern Conference teams.

However, most teams that have the assets to trade for Antetokounmpo would need to gut the better parts of their lineup in order to make a legal trade happen, and that would make them less likely to be contenders.

That’s the advantage Boston seemingly possesses over just about every other team Antetokounmpo would be willing to play for: its roster would not be depleted in the process of acquiring the ‘Greek Freak’.

Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, The Athletic’s Sam Amick said the rumors of Antetokounmpo to the Celtics have some serious traction, at least on Antetokounmpo’s end.

“Miami is the loudest noise, you continue to hear that … yes, it appears everybody you talk to says Miami at the deadline had a deal that was close,” Amick said. “So the noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some understanding that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of the deal.

“I think the Celtics are a pretty intriguing option in terms of being competitive,” Amick added. “This is something we’ve heard from Giannis’s side that the intrigue is real. The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way that he might see that roster. Do I think it changes things? I don’t know yet. But I think it’s worth watching.”

The seemingly obvious piece for Boston to send back, whether to the Bucks or a third involved team, is Jaylen Brown. Brown has a similar contract to Antetokounmpo’s, and is a quality enough player that he could be the only player the Celtics trade away in the deal, giving them plenty of runway to compete for a championship in the aftermath.

So, from a salary cap-balancing perspective, the trade could be done easily. But Boston will have other factors to consider. Does the fit with Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum together make sense and will it lead to a better title shot? And, even if Brad Stevens thinks it is, does it make sense to trade away your longest tenured player who has already proven he can win a championship alongside Tatum.

Brown’s name has been dangled in a few different rumored trade scenarios over the last few offseasons, but no other occasion has had this much traction behind it.

And for the Bucks, trading Antetokounmpo appears to be a near-certainty at this juncture.

“It seems very likely … it’s not often you have an owner publicly framing the timeline, and that’s what Jimmy Haslem did. We just saw Jimmy Haslem do a blockbuster trade with Myles Garrett in the NFL, showing he’s certainly ready to pull that trigger if he needs to. I do expect it to happen.”

So the Heat and Celtics, who have built quite a fierce rivalry in the 21st century, and especially with their recent playoff clashes, will be pitted against each other once more. This time, Antetokounmpo is up for grabs.

Stevens entered the offseason saying he’d do everything in his power to make Boston a more competitive team and bring them another championship. He also said he’d take a dunk over a 3-pointer on every possession if he could. If he lands Antetokounmpo, he just might get both his wishes.