All-Star Free Agent Matt Chapman Signs Long-Awaited Deal With San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants have signed third baseman Matt Chapman to a three-year, $54 million contract, MLB Network's Jon Heyman first reported Friday night.
Chapman will be due $20 million in 2024, then $18 million in 2025 and $16 million in 2026. He has opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.
Spotrac had Chapman's market value pegged at six years and $103 million, while MLB Trade Rumors predicted he would earn a six-year, $150 million deal at the start of the offseason. Like Cody Bellinger returning to the Chicago Cubs, though, Chapman took a smaller payday this winter in order to preserve flexibility moving forward.
While the Cubs and Seattle Mariners had both previously been linked to Chapman, the Giants were long seen as the favorites to land the former All-Star. Reports started to surface in early February that San Francisco was "in talks" with Chapman, and it apparently took a full month to get those negotiations to the finish line.
Chapman, who turns 31 years old in April, has been one of the top power-hitting and defensive third basemen in baseball over the past few seasons. He lost a bit of pop at the plate in 2023, however, as his 17 home runs and 54 RBI with the Toronto Blue Jays were his fewest in a full season since his rookie year with the Oakland Athletics in 2017.
Excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, Chapman has appeared in an average of 149 games a year since 2018. He is a .240 lifetime hitter, boasting a .790 OPS and 31.2 WAR.
Chapman has averaged 29 home runs, 80 RBI, 36 doubles and a 5.8 WAR per 162 games in his career. He has won four Gold Gloves and placed top-10 in MVP voting in both 2018 and 2019.
The Giants have now added another dangerous bat to the meat of their lineup, with Chapman joining Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and All-Star designated hitter Jorge Soler as the club's most notable incoming free agents. San Francisco also welcomed Jordan Hicks and Robbie Ray to its starting rotation.
JD Davis will presumably move to the bench upon Chapman's arrival, fresh off winning $6.9 million in his arbitration hearing against San Francisco.
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