3 reasons the SF Giants should add third baseman Matt Chapman

The SF Giants have been connected to Matt Chapman quite a bit this offseason. At times, it has felt almost like an inevitability that he will land in San Francisco. Nevertheless, the 30-year-old third baseman checks off a lot of boxes for the Giants.

3 reasons the SF Giants should add third baseman Matt Chapman

Chapman finished yet another solid season in 2023. With the Toronto Blue Jays, he registered a .240/.330/.424 line (108 OPS+) with 17 home runs, 54 RBI, and 66 runs in 581 plate appearances. This includes a 10.7 percent walk rate, 28.4 percent strikeout rate, and a .185 ISO.

He has swatted at least 20 home runs in three of the last four full seasons with the past year being the exception. On a different note, he would bring a surprising amount of speed on the bases for a Giants team that has usually been on the slower side.

1. Elite Defense

No matter what, Chapman will bring elite defense to the hot corner in San Francisco. Chapman is a four-time Gold Glove winner, two-time Platinum Glove winner, and has provided at least 10 defensive runs saved above average (DRS) at 3B in five of his six full seasons.

Meanwhile, the SF Giants finished 2023 with -15 DRS at 3B. The last SF Giant to win a Gold Glove at 3B is now on the coaching staff, Matt Williams, in 1996. Williams is one of only two players in SF Giants history to win a Gold Glove at 3B (1991, 1993, 1994), the other being Jim Davenport in 1962. Matt Chapman would bring a sorely needed defensive boost to the hot corner and would immediately provide the Giants with something they have rarely seen in their history.