After months of waiting, third baseman Matt Chapman has a new home in the Bay Area. The San Francisco Giants and Chapman agreed to a three-year deal on Friday night, and the contract contains two opt-outs. The deal is worth up to $54 million. Chapman was one of the top hitters available in free agency, especially after a disappointing year at the plate. However, his top-end defense earned him a fourth Gold Glove Award at third base. He declined the Toronto Blue Jays qualifying offer in a move that was expected. Now, the Blue Jays will look to another third baseman for the present and future of the hot corner in Toronto.
Breaking: Matt Chapman to Giants. $20M $18M $16M. $54M total. 2 optouts.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 2, 2024
Third baseman Matt Chapman and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a three-year, $54 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Chapman will receive opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 2, 2024
Matt Chapman’s deal with the Giants will pay him $20 million this year, $18 million in 2025 (if he doesn’t opt out) and $16 million in 2026 (if he doesn’t opt out), as @JonHeyman reported. He’ll slot into the middle of San Francisco’s lineup as the Giants look to rebound in 2024.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 2, 2024
Matt Chapman to the Giants
The third baseman got off to a brilliant start at the plate in 2023, hitting .384 with 1.152 OPS through April. After that, the rest of the season was nothing but mediocrity. From May onward, Chapman hit .205 with a .659 OPS, as he wasn’t generating as much power as before. It left him with three straight years of down seasons offensively, batting .226 with a .743 OPS through 2021-2023. It’s far from the numbers he put up during his tenure with the Oakland Athletics, hitting .255 with a .839 OPS in 422 games.
Over seven seasons, Chapman boasts a career slash line of .240/.329/.461 with 155 home runs. He’s never played less than 140 games in a season, with the exception of his rookie campaign and the COVID-shortened season. While his power-hitting is so-so, he is more regarded as one of the best third basemen in the league. His career WAR is at 31.2, largely thanks to his defense. In two of those years, he won the league-wide Platinum Glove.
Blue Jays Third Base Future
Toronto will explore the free agent and trade market. That is how they landed Chapman following the end of the MLB lockout. Jeimer Candelario is one of the top third basemen left on the open market. Then, there are veteran names, including Evan Longoria and Justin Turner. The Blue Jays have no shortage of young infielders, and Davis Schneider is the biggest surprise of 2023. Meanwhile, there’s Orelvis Martinez, who has power on the plate. Then, there’s Addison Barger, who had a great spring training, and Ernie Clement, who proved to be more than a depth player.
Photo Credit: © Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
