Aroldis Chapman will have a normal spring training with the Sox in Florida.
Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman will not participate in the World Baseball Classic after previously planning to represent Great Britain.
Chapman was born in Cuba but has never played for Cuba in the WBC. This was slated to be his first appearance in the international tournament, which begins on March 4.
Francys Romero had the information on social media:
Unfortunately, Aroldis Chapman will not be playing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with Great Britain, per sources. The 2025 American League Reliever of the Year did not meet the eligibility requirements.
The World Baseball Classic has lax eligibility rules, but evidently Chapman was unable to prove his connection to Team GB, who was one of the exciting teams in the 2023 event despite going 1-3.
About Chapman
About to turn 38 years old, Chapman is a 16-year veteran of the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Red Sox. An eight-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion, Chapman is 60-48 lifetime with a 2.52 ERA. He was incredible for Boston in 2025, going 5-3 with a 1.17 ERA, striking out 85 hitters in just 61.1 innings.
Known for his blazing fastball, Chapman still tops out in the 100ss and features a solid slider.
Signed to a one-year deal before the 2025 season, he earned an extension in 2026 and will play this season at $13.3 million.
What this means for the Red Sox
While this is a disappointment for Chapman, it is undoubtedly a good thing for the Red Sox, who will be happy to have their closer in camp and under their protection. The World Baseball Classic is a great event, but the injury risks are real, as evidenced by Edwin Diaz missing the entirety of the 2023 season for the New York Mets after getting injured for Puerto Rico.
With one week to go...
The Red Sox begin spring training in one week and they do so with questions about how they'll handle their pitching depth as well as their infield rotation. Will they go with Marcelo Mayer at third and David Hamilton/Romy Gonzalez at second? What about Kristian Campbell, how does he fit in?
And the Red Sox still have too many outfielders, will they all make it to camp and will they all make it to the Opening Day roster? That all remains to be seen.
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