Hug watch normally doesn’t arrive this early.
But on Saturday night, middle of May, Boston Red Sox fans noticed that closer Aroldis Chapman was hugging everyone in the bullpen midway through their game. Could that mean he was being traded?
That’s certainly what some fans began to fear:
Aroldis Chapman hugging everyone? pic.twitter.com/H90XuP7BdL
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) May 17, 2026
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Red Sox fans even began digging deeper when Franklin Arias was removed from minor league action midgame at around the same time that the hugs were taking place.
Now to be fair, it’s unlikely Chapman and Arias would ever be involved in the same outgoing deal. One would be a win-now move, while the other would be looking toward the future.
Still, the hugs were an odd moment — and it got sillier when Chapman got to come on for the save later on Saturday night.
He earned the save with an incredible kick play to get the final out:
Aroldis Chapman just made a hell of a play to end the game for the Sox pic.twitter.com/ECmCCQCgGB
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 17, 2026
There was no additional news after the game, so the hugs must’ve been something else going on out there in the bullpen.
The Red Sox haven’t had an ideal start to the season, and maybe if it continued Chapman would be a trade candidate.
For now, he’s just making kick saves.
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