Giants ‘Clearing Payroll,’ Predicted to Add 4-Time Gold Glove Winner

Getty Matt Chapman won his forth Gold Glove at third base in 2023

The San Francisco Giants have been tied to numerous blockbuster free agents this offseason, including Shota Imanaga, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

But the team’s latest move has fueled the notion that they are preparing to finally land one. 

“The moment the San Francisco Giants traded Ross Stripling to the Oakland A’s, speculation sparked that they were clearing payroll for a big fish in the free agent market,” Alicia de Artola reported for FanSided. “Smart money is on Matt Chapman being that guy.”

Chapman has been linked to the Giants for much of the winter, with predictions noting that the team’s president of baseball operations worked with the Oakland A’s as Chapman began his career there. 

And de Artola added that, as the offseason goes on, it seems increasingly unlikely that the Toronto Blue Jays will re-sign the third baseman who won his fourth-career Gold Glove with them in 2023.

“San Francisco may have come a step closer to locking in Chapman with the $9.25 million they opened up in the Stripling trade,” she wrote.

How Adding Matt Chapman Impacts the San Francisco Giants

Chapman is one of the best third baseman in MLB and a productive hitter, making him a coveted free agent. 

In 2023, he slashed .240/.330/.424 with 17 homers and 54 RBI, marking a slight decline in his career averages after a seven-year career. But his plus defense and relative production at his position makes him a particularly appealing fit for the Giants.

“Chapman, who turns 31 years old in April, has been one of the league’s best power-hitting and defensive third basemen in baseball over the past few seasons,” Sam Connon wrote for FanNation’s Fastball. “Veteran JD Davis is currently projected to start at third base after appearing in 116 games at the position for the Giants in 2023, but he is going to hit free agency next winter.”

Between Davis, Wilmer Flores and Casey Schmitt logging innings in the hot corner last season, the Giants saw a combined -12 defensive runs saved, Connon added. Chapman had 12 defensive saves by himself for the Blue Jays in 2023.

Adding Matt Chapman Is a Win-Now Move for the San Francisco Giants

The Giants have been projected to “open up the checkbook” for a marquee free agent this offseason, as ESPN’s David Schoenfield put it.

And that might make them a good fit for Champan, who is projected to earn a six-year, $103 million deal this offseason, per Sportrac. Paying him an average of more than $17 million per year into his age-37 season might only make sense for a team ready to win now.

“If Chapman is merely a good defender, rather than a great one, he’s still worth $20 million a year, and the market to sign him ought to be robust,” Michael Baumann noted for FanGraphs. “But the margins for a player like this can be thin, and any team that’s interested in acquiring Chapman should have a plan to maximize his defensive utility before physical decline sets in.”

With their recent deals with veteran Robbie Ray and KBO star Jung Hoo Lee, the Giants seem like they want to maximize for a deep run in 2024.