The Blue Jays are looking to fill the third base role as Matt Chapman is a free agent and will likely decline the qualifying offer of $20.325 million. While Chapman is a skilled third baseman and a talented defenseman who just won this fourth Gold Glove Award, we cannot ignore the lack of offense that he brought in 2023. The Blue Jays are looking to replace his role, and here are some players they are looking at to replace Matt Chapman.
Star free agent 3B Matt Chapman came to the GM meetings and met with a team or possibly more
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 8, 2023
Third Base Landing Spots for the Blue Jays
Jeimer Candelario
The Blue Jays have met with Candelario’s representatives. 👀 https://t.co/jQkSBBbP4f pic.twitter.com/FCYqEdcQ4e
— theScore (@theScore) November 8, 2023
The Blue Jays met with Jeimer Candelario’s representatives on Tuesday, November 7th. Candelario is a free agent and played for the Chicago Cubs, and in 2023, he recorded 22 home runs, 70 RBI, and 107 hits. He also played for the Detroit Tigers from 2018 to 2022. He would be an optimal pickup and a nice bench piece to add to Toronto’s roster for 2024.
Could Cavan Biggio be the #BlueJays‘ long-term option at third base?@SNJeffBlair examines the team’s options with Kevin Barker. #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/G7QWs1kUjY
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) September 12, 2023
In 2023, a mixed bag of Blue Jays players filled the role of third base when Matt Chapman was injured. Ernie Clement, Santiago Espinal, and Cavan Biggio were all players that contributed. Biggio also had 70 games at third base in 4 seasons with a combined -2 OAA in those 70 games. Biggio can be a great back-up option for third base. While the Blue Jays have options, getting a player with plenty of third-base experience would be ideal. The Blue Jays can’t afford to use players who lack experience, and that could result in unwanted errors. When Chapman was injured, and Espinal made a costly throwing error that cost the Blue Jays a game in 2023, it was not a pleasant sight to watch.
The Blue Jays recently added Carlos Febles as their third-base hitting coach, and while many disagree with this pickup, it also comes down to the players. When Luis Riveria was the third base coach, players often did not listen to him. The Blue Jays must listen to their base coaches to avoid unwanted errors that have cost them runs.
Alec Bohm
Could Alec Bohm be a lateral move? This acquisition would be an upgrade defensively but a downgrade offensively. But considering that Chapman’s offense in 2023 was a downgrade, I wouldn’t see this as an issue. They also have the option of moving Bohm to first base. As mentioned, the Blue Jays have options for shuffling up positions as they have utility players that can be moved around. Chapman was a frustrating player to watch offensively for the Blue Jays in 2023. He strikes out a lot of disappointed fans, especially in clutch situations. He was red hot in April, and then after that, he could not buy a hit and was not consistent. While his leaving is unfortunate due to his elite defense, the Blue Jays can’t risk jeopardizing their offense in 2024. So, to answer the question, Bohm would be a lateral move for the Blue Jays.
Final Thoughts
The offseason frenzy for the Blue Jays continues to unfold with many rumors, speculations, and discussions over social media. Matt Chapman is a well-respected defenseman, but his inconsistency in 2023 with offense will be noticed. The Blue Jays’ focus for 2024 is offense and improving RISP, two of their most significant issues in 2023. The Blue Jays have no issues getting hits, but they had a big problem with cashing in runs. They had so many opportunities and could have won many more games. But the past should be a lesson for the future and 2024. If the Blue Jays want to make a deep push for October baseball in 2024, they must fix these issues. It will be interesting to see what they do at the hot corner position.
Photo Credit: © David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
