Closer Aroldis Chapman's tenure with the Red Sox is helping his Hall of Fame case

“I don’t know,” Chapman said last week.

“What do you think?” That’s a good question. As a Hall of Fame voter, relievers are tricky.

Mariano Rivera was obviously an easy box to check, Billy Wagner far less so. Jansen could become only the third closer in history with 500 saves later this season and he doesn’t feel automatic in any way. The only true relievers in Cooperstown are Rivera, Wagner, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter, and Hoyt Wilhelm.

Dennis Eckersley had 390 saves and made 361 starts. John Smoltz made 361 starts, became a closer who recorded 154 saves, then made 120 more starts. Chapman’s tenure with the Red Sox is helping his case.

He was an All-Star last season who converted 32 of 34 save chances while posting a 1.17 ERA and0.70 WHIP. Opening Day was more of the same as he retired the side in order on 11 pitches and hit 99.5 m.p.h. It was easy work for him.

“There’s not much in my mind I want to accomplish outside of team goals,” Chapman said via a translator during the final days of spring training.

“We have a goal to win the World Series. I’ve won two already [with the Cubs in 2016 and Rangers in ’23] and I want to keep winning more. For me personally, that is what I care about.”

Chapman said several friends mentioned to him that Wagner getting elected in 2025 was a positive for his case. That could well be true. Wagner was a seven-time All-Star with a 2.31 ERA, 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings, and 422 saves.

Chapman is an eight-time All-Star with a 2.52 ERA, 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings, and 368 saves. Wagner was 1-1 with a 10.03 ERA in 14 career postseason games and had three saves. Chapman has a 2.26 ERA and 11 saves in 46 career postseason games.

Plus Jay Jaffe’s well-regarded Hall of Fame rankings have Chapman as the 12th best reliever all-time.

“The Hall of Fame is something I can’t control,” Chapman said.

“But at the same time I control the numbers that I put up. It’s just not my decision who makes it and who doesn’t.

“When you’re in it, you’re when you’re playing, you’re not really keeping track of your numbers or your milestones. The writers have more information than I do.” As the Baseball Writers’ Association of America electorate changes and gets younger, relievers could be among the candidates who benefit the most.

The old argument that a reliever is just a failed starter doesn’t play well for a generation that understands the importance of closers and how much value teams place in their late-inning relievers. Chapman has never started a major league game. The Reds saw him as a reliever at 22 and he was an All-Star for the first time at 24.

“What Chappy does is not something just anybody can do,” Sox bullpen mate Garrett Whitlock said.

“He puts a lot of time in to be able to pitch like he does.” Tony Pérez remains the only Cuban Hall of Famer elected by the BBWAA. Three other Cubans — Martín Dihigo, José Méndez, and Cristóbal Torriente — were selected by committees charged with recognizing the contributions of players from the Negro Leagues.

“For me, being from Cuba, it would mean a lot to get in,” Chapman said.

“That is something I think about.” Once he’s on the ballot, voters would have to consider Chapman’s 30-game suspension for domestic violence in 2016. He allegedly choked his girlfriend at the time then fired eight shots from a gun in the garage of his home.

Chapman was not charged with a crime by police but agreed to the suspension after MLB’s investigation. Four teams have signed him since after conducting background checks. Andruw Jones, who was elected to the Hall in January, was arrested for a domestic violence incident in 2012 and like Chapman was not charged.

The arrest came after the outfielder’s final season in the majors and he did not face suspension. There’s a five-year gap between retirement and being placed on the Hall of Fame ballot, so this will all be a topic for another day. But after watching Chapman cruise to another save on Opening Day, his Cooperstown credentials are going to be an interesting debate when the time comes.

Terry Francona has no love for Red Sox management after the way his time in Boston ended in 2011. But his face lights up when you mention Alex Cora.

“He’s an easy one to like,” Francona said.

“I feel fortunate to have been around so many good people because they’ve helped me get better.” Cora is one of six current major league managers who played or coached under Francona. When Cora managed the American League All-Star team in 2019, he invited Francona to be one of his coaches.

“For a lot of us, [Francona] is the one we learned from,” Cora said.

“Playing for him, you watched everything he did.” Mike Napoli might be the next branch on Francona’s managing tree. The former Red Sox first baseman (2013-15) is Cincinnati’s assistant bench coach.

He’s in his second season on the staff after coaching with the Cubs from 2020-24. Napoli played for Francona in 2016 when Cleveland went to the World Series.

“I’d like to manage someday. This is the best place for me to learn,” Napoli said.

“Being around Tito is a great experience.” Another former Red Sox player, Bill Haselman, is in his first season as Cincinnati’s catching coach. He was on the Sox staff under Francona from 2004-06.

A few other observations on the Red Sox:

• Since the end of the World Series, Roman Anthony has the ninth-best-selling jersey according to Major League Baseball. Shohei Ohtani, the Joe DiMaggio of jersey sales, has led for three consecutive seasons and has sold the most since 2023. No other Red Sox were in the top 20. Somehow Kiké Hernández was 12th and Paul Skenes only 18th. Mookie Betts was fourth.
• Garrett Crochet is the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1901) to start on Opening Day in his first three seasons as a starter.
• Triple-A Worcester’s Opening Day lineup Friday included Kristian Campbell in center field batting second. He’s signed through 2032, so it’s not really an issue now. But if the 23-year-old Campbell is an outfielder moving forward it’s hard to see where he fits in a lineup that already has 21-year-old Anthony, 25-year-old Ceddanne Rafaela, and 26-year-old Wilyer Abreu.
• Former Red Sox who are still free agents: Lucas Giolito, Jose Iglesias, and Justin Turner. Justin Wilson remains unsigned but has apparently decided to retire at 38.
• Righthander Tanner Houck, who is recovering from elbow surgery, will do his rehabilitation work during the season in Boston and be around the team. Tristan Casas will remain in Fort Myers as he returns from surgery on his left knee. The first baseman has been taking at-bats but has not yet been cleared to play in games.