Giants’ Matt Chapman Among Third Basemen Carlos Correa is Learning from

There was a world in which Carlos Correa and Matt Chapman could have been San Francisco Giants teammates. These days, the pair must watch each other from afar.

Correa has been doing much more watching lately. At the trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins dealt Correa back to the Houston Astros and he agreed to make the transition to third base in the wake of an injury to Isaac Paredes. Correa had never played the position before he returned to Houston.

Obviously, the near-Giants free-agent signee has been working hard to make the transition as seamless as he can. That means more work in the field and as much film work as possible. He recently told The Athletic (subscription required) that he’s watching film of three third basemen to learn more about the nuances of the position.

One of them is Chapman, who was won multiple Gold Gloves at the position. The others are the St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado and the San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado. Like Chapman, the pair have won Gold Gloves and are among the game’s best.

Correa on Chapman

Correa told The Athletic that he was working to move to third base for two years and the trade to the Astros clinched it. From there, he chose those three players for their ability to attack ground balls and the arm angles they use to throw baseballs to first base, one of the game’s more difficult throws.

He joined Houston during a three-city road trip, which gave him long flights, down time in hotel rooms and plenty of time to fire up highlights of the three playing the position.

“For me, it’s about seeing how deep they play with slow runners, fast runners, double plays, infield in, guys that bunt, all that,” Correa said. “Just analyzing all the little details so I can get more comfortable at the position.”

Chapman and Correa played each other plenty when the pair were with the Athletics and the Astros, respectively. Based on his familiarity with Chapman, Correa gravitated toward him right away. But Correa was looking for specifics when it came to watching Chapman.

“I watch his film and I analyze the depth that he plays at, I analyze pre-pitch movement, the different slots that he uses depending on where the ball is hit,” Correa said.

Chapman on Correa

Chapman signed a long-term deal with the Giants last offseason, a move that locks down third base for a long time. In retrospect, when the Giants passed on signing Correa after balking at his medicals, San Francisco might not have signed Chapman in the first place, if Correa really was contemplating a move to third base.

He is a five-time Gold Glove winner at the position in the American League. He’s also won two Platinum Gloves and a Wilson overall defensive award. There isn’t much that gets by him. He was flattered to learn that Correa was watching his film to ease his transition. But Correa has Gold Gloves at shortstop and Chapman doesn’t sound concerned about his transition.

“For him, I don’t really have any advice,” Chapman said. “He’s such a good baseball player. Just trust his instincts. He has great instincts. I imagine it’s going to be a pretty quick transition, easy transition for him.”