MATT CHAPMAN
Position: 3B Bats/Throws: R/R
Age: 30 (4/28/93)
2023 Traditional Stats: 140 G, 581 PA, .240/.330/.424/.755, 17 HR, 39 2B, 54 RBI, 122 H
2023 Advanced Stats: 110 WRC+, 4.4 bWAR, 3.5 fWAR, 10.7 BB%, 28.4 K%, .319 BABIP, .339 xwOBA, 12 DRS, 5 OAA
RUNDOWN
Since getting the call in June of 2017, Matt Chapman has garnered a reputation for being one of the best defensive third basemen in the league. After a relatively quick rise through the Athletics system, Chapman impressed right away in his short stint with the club in that same 2017 season. In his 84 appearances, he was able to accrue a 3.2 WAR as he showed his phenomenal defensive prowess and proved to be an above-average hitter in the majors. With him being the unquestioned third baseman, he continued to sparkle on the field with his glove as the all-star won two platinum gloves in his time in Oakland.
While the league was well aware of Matt Chapman’s defensive prowess, it seemed to appear that he was also making strides at the plate as he was top-10 in MVP voting in his first two full seasons. Chapman seemed to be the cornerstone of what would be a team in postseason contention for years to come; leading the Athletics to two postseason appearances in 2018 and 2019 while posting a .856 OPS and hitting 60 home runs in the two-year span. However, as the Athletics started to tear apart their postseason core, Chapman’s offensive numbers took a steep decrease. After putting together another solid offensive performance in 2020, the gold glover’s numbers took a big hit in 2021 as he was barely a league-average hitter in his 622 plate appearances. This tough season put an end to his time in the Bay Area as he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the 2022 season.
This new chapter in Matt Chapman’s career continued his trend of diminished performance at the plate as in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons he only posted a 116 and 108 OPS+ respectively. After a disappointing first season in Toronto, things seemed to point up as Chapman was scorching hot out of the gates in 2023. He was an early season MVP-candidate, leaving the month of April with a slash line of .384/.465/.687. But that did not last, as his OPS plummeted to .755 by the end of the season and his OPS+ of 108 showed that he was barely above league average at the dish. Aside from this being a down free agency class in terms of everyday players, Chapman is still an interesting player on the market due to his advanced stats from this past season and his proven gold glove play at the hot corner. The now-former Blue Jay ranked in the 98th percentile in both average exit velocity and barrel percentage, while making his way into the 100th percentile in hard-hit percentage in the 2023 season.
Contract
Matt Chapman, who declined a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays, is presumed to boast a large market during this free agency cycle. Matt Chapman would be a perfect fit for many teams as at the very least provide a gold-glove-caliber defense.
MLB Trade Rumors predict Chapman will receive 6-years for $150 million.
Recommendation
The two-time platinum glover has shown that he will be not only an above-average fielder but also one of the top in the league on a year-to-year basis, regardless of position. While his gold glove reputation will be enough to warrant a bigger deal from a team, it would be hard to justify some of the nine-figure deals that are being forecasted due to his diminished impact with the bat. Obviously, the Mets were struggling to find their everyday third baseman last season as they cycled through newcomers Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos following the trading of Eduardo Escobar. But given those three options, along with new utility pickup Joey Wendle, I do not see a scenario where an aging Matt Chapman would benefit the Mets in the long-term.
While I do believe the Mets should bring in another fielder along with Joey Wendle to help with the defensive problems, they faced in 2023, bringing in a player that would garner a 3 to 5-year deal would not be beneficial. Adding someone with a veteran presence like Justin Turner or Gio Urshela on a short-term deal would help bring some stability to the position. At the same time, this will still allow players like Baty, Mauricio, and Vientos to get some at-bats that will be vital to the Mets future success.
