The worst-kept secret at Giants camp over the first three weeks has been new manager Bob Melvin’s desire for a reunion with Matt Chapman. On Friday, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi got him his guy.
The Giants and Chapman have agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported late Friday night. The deal reportedly has opt-outs after the first two seasons, making it similar to the one that Cody Bellinger, another Scott Boras client, recently signed with the Chicago Cubs.
When camp opened last month, Boras had the top four players left on the market. He has now found homes for two of them, and the Giants remain engaged on a third, per sources. They remained patient and have stayed in the mix for Chapman and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell in recent days, with Chapman adding another big bat to a new-look lineup.
Chapman joins Jung Hoo Lee and Jorge Soler as notable newcomers and likely will hit either directly in front of or behind Soler, the new cleanup hitter. The 30-year-old is coming off a down year overall, but hit 27 homers in each of the two previous seasons. He was an All-Star in 2019 when he hit 36 for Melvin’s Oakland Athletics.
Chapman’s .755 OPS last season was the second-lowest of his career, but he was still worth 4.4 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball-Reference, a figure that was nearly two wins better than the top Giants position player. The value came mostly from his all-world defense at third base.
Chapman has four Gold Glove awards in the last six seasons and twice has won the AL Platinum Glove, given to the league’s best overall defender. His presence gives the Giants one of the league’s best at third and also should benefit another position. Chapman will make life a lot easier for rookie shortstop Marco Luciano.
Chapman’s addition leaves the Giants with a surplus at third, and potentially the chance to make additional big moves. Incumbent J.D. Davis is coming off a solid year and is off to a strong start this spring, and the Giants also have had Casey Schmitt in the mix at third. It’s unclear how they’ll find playing time for Davis, but Schmitt has been moving around this spring, getting plenty of reps at shortstop early in camp.
The move also removes another avenue for Wilmer Flores, the best hitter on last year’s team. But these are problems Melvin will be eager to tackle. He was there when Chapman arrived in the big leagues in 2017 and now will reunite with his former A’s third baseman across the bridge.
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