MLB
Will Matt Chapman be the starting third baseman for the Giants?
The third baseman began his career with the Oakland Athletics in 2017 and spent the last two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays.
As the Opening Day of the 2024 Major League Baseball season approaches, star-free agents are becoming harder to come by. Recently, infielder Matt Chapman was hunting for a new team in the MLB.
According to a report by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Chapman has agreed to a three-year contract with the Giants worth $54 million. The contract will decrease by two million with each passing year: Chapman will earn $20 million in 2024, which will gradually decrease to $16 million in 2026. Additionally, the player will have the option to end the contract after the 2025 season.
“Chappy” was awarded the Player of the Month title for April 2023. He played in 140 games and ended the last season with a batting average of .240. During this period, he achieved 122 hits with 17 home runs out of 509 at-bats and managed to drive in 54 runs as an infielder.
Chapman’s arrival in San Francisco will also be his meeting with his first manager, Bob Melvin. The Giants manager had the same position with the Oakland Athletics in 2017 and 2021 when the player was part of the organization that will soon move to Las Vegas.
Will Matt Chapman be the starting third baseman for the Giants?
Before Chapman signed with San Francisco, J.D. Davis was the third baseman projected to be the starter. However, Chapman has the credentials to keep the starting job at third base and join LaMonte Wade Jr., Thairo Estrada, and Marco Luciano as the Giants’ infielders.
The San Francisco Giants have secured an outstanding defender at third base with the presence of a player who will turn 31 in April. Matt Chapman has won four Gold Gloves and has been awarded the Platinum Glove twice, in 2018 and 2019, for being the best defender.