Matt Chapman might be giving SF Giants chance to bail themselves out at trade deadline

Earlier this season, there were calls from some SF Giants fans for the team to trade away third baseman Matt Chapman. He was struggling badly and the vitriol online was reaching unacceptable levels. 

Now, he has flipped the script and is one of the hottest hitters on the team. He’s hitting .262/.345/.409 with six home runs and 37 runs batted in. While Bryce Eldridge got all the glory for his walk-off grand slam on Wednesday, that incredible moment isn’t possible without Chapman’s two home runs leading up to it.

Ironically, the Giants are now in a better position to trade Chapman if they wanted to. While it’s great to see him get back on track, with the team still well under .500 and Chapman still owed over $100 million it may be time to bail themselves out while they still can.

Chapman does have a full no-trade clause in his contract so he doesn’t have to stay if he has control over where he wants to go. But if the Giants can work out a deal with a team that Chapman is okay with going to then maybe they could offload that deal.

Casey Schmitt could force Chapman out of the picture

While it may seem counterintuitive to get rid of Chapman right as he’s heating up, the emergence of Casey Schmitt could change the team’s calculus a bit. Schmitt has been incredible this season, slashing .276/.307/.516 with 15 home runs and 38 runs batted in despite the fact that he’s been moved all around the diamond defensively. 

Third base is his strongest position and he is not set to be a free agent for a few more years so the Giants would likely get him at a discounted price. If they wanted, the Giants could go with Schmitt as the third baseman of the future while moving Chapman.

This would also allow the Giants to hold onto Luis Arraez if they wanted to. They could sign him to an extension and there would still be room for everyone if Chapman were with a different team.

Of course, trading Chapman would also send a pretty big signal to the clubhouse. Chapman is a leader and is clearly well-respected by his teammates. Trading a guy like that could signal not only giving up on this season but the next few seasons as well.

That’s a dangerous game to play so president of baseball operations Buster Posey has to be absolutely sure that trading Chapman would be the best move for the team. If he decides it is what’s best then he should strike while the iron is hot and trade him while his value may be at its zenith.

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