Report: Aroldis Chapman the 'favorite' to take over closer role for Red Sox
Briefly

As the 2025 regular season approaches, the Boston Red Sox are solidifying their bullpen, with veteran Aroldis Chapman emerging as the frontrunner for closer. Throwing 10 strikeouts in 5.1 innings during the Grapefruit League, Chapman outperformed Liam Hendriks, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, and fellow reliever Justin Slaten. While Chapman’s ability to miss bats is promising, his command issues—evident in his past walks—pose a risk for tight game situations. The Red Sox, needing bullpen stability after ranked 24th in team ERA last season, are hopeful his strengths can offset his weaknesses.
The Red Sox are reportedly inching closer to sorting out their bullpen situation, with Aroldis Chapman emerging as the in-house favorite for the closer role.
Despite Aroldis Chapman's impressive strikeouts this spring, his command issues could lead to stressful closeout situations for the Red Sox in 2025.
Read at Boston.com
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