MLB trade rumors: Aroldis Chapman moment sparks Boston Red Sox speculation before Ken Rosenthal steps in

The Boston Red Sox are going through a difficult stretch, and that has naturally started conversations around possible trades. With the team sitting near the bottom of the AL East and the offense struggling to stay consistent, some fans have already started wondering if Boston could become sellers before the MLB trade deadline. But according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the Red Sox are not close to giving up on the season yet.Speaking on Foul Territory on Monday, Rosenthal made it clear that Boston still believes it can turn things around. Even though the Red Sox entered the week with a 19-27 record, they were still only a few games behind in the American League wild card race. Rosenthal explained that the current state of the AL is one big reason the team is not rushing into major trade talks right now. He believes Boston still has enough time to recover if the offense finally starts clicking.

Ken Rosenthal says Boston Red Sox should not rush into trade deadline decisions despite disappointing 2026 start

Ken Rosenthal did not sound convinced that Boston is ready to break apart the roster this early in the season. During his appearance on Foul Territory, he explained why the Red Sox are still staying patient despite the poor results so far.“They’re not going to give up yet for the reason I just stated, the American League is weak,” Rosenthal said. “So, I believe the Red Sox this morning are only three, three and a half games out of the wild card race. So, at that point, you’re thinking, ‘All right, we get hot, we get our offense going,’ maybe they will, maybe they won’t. Certainly isn’t going right now, ‘then we have a chance.’ They certainly pitch well enough now.”Trade rumors picked up even more after veteran closer Aroldis Chapman was seen hugging bullpen teammates following Boston’s 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. Since Chapman had just recorded his ninth save of the season, some fans online quickly wondered if he had been traded behind the scenes.That turned out not to be true, but the moment still added more attention to Boston’s uncertain season. Rosenthal admitted that things could change later in the summer if the Red Sox continue to slide in the standings.“Come July, if it’s not looking great, then you do sell pieces off, but you don’t give up yet…so the Red Sox will remain intact, at least for the foreseeable future,” Rosenthal added.For now, Boston appears focused on trying to fix the offense instead of planning a roster breakup. The Red Sox opened a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Monday while still searching for momentum in a season that has not gone as expected.