The Atlanta Braves have leaned on their bullpen in the 2026 season with Raisel Iglesias, Dylan Lee, and Robert Suarez all in the midst of elite seasons. Still, there is reason to argue the franchise would be wise to add to the position in the coming weeks ahead of the trade deadline. With the offense being incredibly inconsistent over the last month, having an incredibly deep bullpen offers an obvious path to making a potential deep postseason run. With this in mind, Atlanta should gauge the market of Aroldis Chapman.
Chapman is currently with the Boston Red Sox and should be dealt ahead of the deadline, with Boston far out of reasonable contention. The southpaw has only given up six earned runs so far in the 2026 season and has been a force in a bullpen that badly needed the stability. With this in mind, the Braves should be actively exploring a deal with Boston to put together what would unquestionably be the best bullpen in the league.
Didier Fuentes and Tyler Kinley are lurking as well, having important roles in the middle innings. Putting Chapman in the mix allows manager Walt Weiss an elite ability to keep his best arms fresh while still putting elite options on the mound.
Braves Should Explore Trading with Red Sox to Land Veteran Aroldis Chapman
Chapman is third among active relievers in all-time saves, only behind Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen. The reliever ranks first in strikeouts in this category and still has top-end velocity that can overwhelm the right matchups. Atlanta adding Chapman to the back end of the bullpen should be affordable when you consider both the left-hander's age and the fact it is known the Red Sox want to turn the page.
Boston sits in the basement of the American League East and isn't within reasonable wildcard contention, leaving no question that veteran pieces and expiring deals need to be dealt. For Chapman, it is important to join a contender, as the veteran is likely in one of the final years of his career, running out of chances to make another deep postseason run.
Atlanta can offer this opportunity while offering plenty of rest for Chapman thanks to a bullpen stocked with talent. It simply makes far too much sense not to explore in the next weeks of the season. Getting the deal done would hand Atlanta an undeniable postseason advantage and, most importantly, make sure that advantage isn't overextended when the season matters most.
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