Former Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman circles the bases and will be playing on a regular basis for the San Francisco Giants for the 2024 season (AP News file photo)
By Stephen Ruderman
The Giants made the signing of third-baseman Matt Chapman official today on a one-year, $18 million deal that includes player options for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, as well as a mutual option for the 2027 Season.
The Giants announced the deal at a press conference Monday at Scottsdale Stadium. Chapman was joined by Manager Bob Melvin, whom he is reuniting with after five seasons together across the bay with the Oakland Athletics from 2017 to 2021. Chapman and Melvin made no secret about their excitement for their reunion.
“We had something really special with the A’s, and unfortunately, that got ripped out of our hands and broken up,” said Chapman. “To come back here and have an opportunity with an organization like the Giants that’s not afraid to spend; a team that’s not afraid to go and get free agents and keep guys together and adding; and do all the things you expect a winning franchise to do, we have the opportunity to do that here, and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of that.”
“It just seemed like it was destiny,” Chapman added. “I think we’ve got some unfinished business [here].”
For [Champan, this is] the most comfortable spot, and he love[s] playing in the Bay Area,” said Melvin.
Indeed, Chapman is wasting no time making himself comfortable with the Giants.
“Since I’ve been here, I [have felt] super comfortable,” said Chapman. “Going through the defenses, going through all the drills. Got to do it for seven years, so it was just like riding a bike.”
However, Chapman’s arrival means that JD Davis has lost his job as the Giants’ everyday third-baseman. The speculation on the future of Davis is all over the place, from roles as a late-inning pinch-hitter, to being traded. Only time will tell for Davis.
Another player whose future is clouded by the arrival of Chapman is Casey Schmitt. Schmitt had an exciting rookie season for the Giants in 2023, and could perhaps see time as a utility man, as he tried to make even more noise in his sophomore season.
Though, no matter what happens, this off-season has proven that the Giants and President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi are willing to spend money. Despite losing out on Shohei Ohtani and prized starting pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Zaidi committed to spending over $250 million, as he added Jung-hoo Lee, Jordan Hicks and Jorge Soler.
Chapman is a career-.240 hitter. While his defense is his forte, Chapman also provides power. The Giants are hoping that Jorge Soler can end the Giants’ streak of 19-straight seasons without a 30-home run season from a player, but Chapman could end the streak as well.
Chapman hit 36 home runs with the A’s in 2019; 27 with the A’s in 2021; and 27 with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022. Chapman hit .240 with 17 home runs for Toronto in 2023.
Chapman is the second of the “Boras Four” to be signed. Cody Bellinger was re-signed by the Chicago Cubs to a three-year deal on Feb. 28. Starting pitchers Jordan Montgomery, and 2023 National League Cy Young Award Winner Blake Snell remained unsigned, but the Giants are believed to be in the running for snell.
Scott Boras indeed accompanied Chapman to his press conference, and he and Chapman offered their thoughts on the situation surrounding Boras and his clients.
“[It was] definitely a strange market this year,” said Chapman, who is expected to try free agency again after this season if his power numbers go back up. “The free agent market was a little abnormal. Our goals were to either get a long-term contract that we felt that I was worth. If not, get the short-term contract with opt-outs and bet on myself.”
“Obviously teams have different thoughts,” said Boras. “There are teams that want long-term [deals] for their particular reasons, and there are teams that want short-term. You kind of listen to both dynamics of what each team has, and wants, and talk to your clients and see what they want to do.”
Chapman also dispelled the reputation that the City of San Francisco has for homelessness and crime.
“I chose to come here,” said Chapman. “I think everybody’s different. Everybody has different things that matter to them, but I’m from California. I played in the Bay Area; I’m comfortable here; and people say what they say, but I think at the end of the day when you look at the franchise, they want to win. They’ve won before, [and] they know how to do it.”
“They have great players, [and] great coaches. So, I don’t see why people wouldn’t want to come here,” Chapman added. “I know that a lot of people have reached out and said they want to come play here and told me that, so I think if that’s [the] narrative, it’s going to change.”
Other Notes:
Giants Play-by-Play Announcer Duane Kuiper praised Manager Bob Melvin’s old-school approach on “Giants Talk” with NBC Sports Bay Area Giants Beat Writer Alex Pavlovic, and Cole Kuiper. He mentioned the departure from the way Gabe Kapler managed the team the last four seasons.
Kuiper also noted the fact that the Giants are taking infield drills every day. It is a drill that Melvin has long employed, as well one Bruce Bochy used when managed the Giants from 2007 to 2019.
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