What began as a possibility, then took more shape and is closer to becoming a reality: the presence on the list of 50 eligible players places the Cuban Aroldis Chapman with greater options to participate in their second World Baseball Classic (WBC, for its acronym in English), but this time representing Great Britain.
The star closer of the Boston Red Sox is part of the plans of the British high command for the edition that will be played in March 2026, according to the information that several sources recently provided to journalist Francys Romero.
From the Winter Meetings of the Major Leagues (MLB) held in the city of Orlando, the communicator published the news on his social networks, although he clarified that there are still some steps left to complete the incorporation.
“There are still several procedures to finish, but the desire is to attend the world event if it obtains permission from the Red Sox,” he said.
Last July, the left-hander from Holguin had confirmed that he had been contacted by the British baseball authorities to convey an invitation to participate in the Classic.
At that same moment he announced that, unofficially, the United States would have surveyed the availability to join his team.
Chapman receives proposal from Great Britain for the next World Classic
“I didn’t give them 100% of whether I’ll be able to play.. Remember that I’m going to be a free agent next season and I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I told them that I am available to be on the roster and that before giving the definitive yes that I am going to play, I need to wait for my next season to come out in Free Agency,” he explained then.
The continuity of Champman, 37 years old, is guaranteed for one more year with the Boston franchise, so that detail does not seem to be an impediment for him to end up accepting the proposal.
Another of the conditions that the fast pitcher had set was the approval of his father, something he received before giving the British the green light for his incorporation into the preliminary roster.
According to the rules of the contest, he would be eligible to represent Great Britain, taking into account his ancestry through the paternal linewho came to Cuba from Jamaica, an island that was a colony of that European nation.
Second parts…
If Chapman finally dresses up in the Great Britain shirt for the VI WBC, it would be his second foray into these tournaments, after debuting in the 2009 edition with the Cuban team.
On that occasion he was in charge of opening the second match of the calendar against Australia, and he pitched the first four innings impeccably, although the 5-4 victory for the island team was scored by Ismel Jiménez from Sancti Spiritus.
His other foray into the tournament was also as a starter against Japan, in a duel in which things did not go very well for him and he ended up suffering the setback.
In short, he pitched 6.1 innings allowing four runs, all earned, for an ERA of 5.68. In addition, he struck out six, walked four, and opponents hit him for an average of .261.
MLB: Aroldis Champan, the best reliever in the American League
Now a more mature Champan would arrive to assume another role, and after impressing the world with an extraordinary performance in the most recent MLB season.
According to the official statisticssaved 32 games and led all qualified relievers with a 1.17 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in 61.1 innings. In addition, opposing hitters averaged just .132 against his pitches, the lowest average among all candidates.
Thus, for the second time in his career, he received the Mariano Rivera award, which distinguished him as the Best Reliever of the Year in the American League.
In addition to his impressive speed records, the Cuban remains on the path to entering the select list of the best relievers in the history of the Major League, where he has played for 16 seasons.
At the end of last September he put saved game number 367 on his service record, which allowed him to equal what was accumulated by Jeff Reardon, until then the sole occupant of 12th place on the historical list of the most effective players on the circuit.
