Third baseman Matt Chapman signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. That deal brings him to the National League for the first time in his career.
While that contract earns him $18 million annually, TSN Sports’ Scott Mitchell revealed that the Toronto Blue Jays, Chapman’s former team, offered him a six-year, $120 million contract extension during the 2023 Major League Baseball season. That’s $20 million annually, $2 million more than the contract he signed with San Francisco.
Man, #BlueJays must have no payroll wiggle room because this is the type of deal I expected them to match, especially because Chapman is going to opt out in eight months.
— Scott Mitchell (@ScottyMitchTSN) March 2, 2024
It’s a head scratcher they’d offer 6/$120M within the past year, then not circle back on this. https://t.co/YEMYYwUkL0
Despite that attractive offer to remain in Toronto, Chapman felt he could command a bigger deal when he became a free agent. After all, he earned his fourth Gold Glove award after finishing with a .968 fielding percentage, 114 putouts, and 35 double plays.
Aside from the contract extension he declined with Toronto, Chapman didn’t sign the ten-year, $150 million deal the Oakland Athletics offered him in 2019. His $54 million contract is far from the $150 million value he sought this offseason.
But while Chapman got a lower deal than what the Blue Jays offered, he will be joining a team that added Jorge Soler, Jordan Hicks, and Jung-Ho Lee.
Aside from his superb fielding and defense, Chapman is a career. 240 hitter with 155 home runs. He received votes for the American League Most Valuable Player award in 2018 and 2019.
-Lance Fernandez