Does the Jorge Soler signing mean the SF Giants are out on Matt Chapman?
With the SF Giants signing slugger Jorge Soler as their DH, does that mean the team will no longer pursue Matt Chapman?
The SF Giants reportedly signed designated hitter Jorge Soler to a three-year deal earlier this week. This came after reports surfaced last week that linked the two parties. With the Giants signing Soler, does this mean that their pursuit of free-agent third baseman Matt Chapman is over?
Does the Jorge Soler signing mean the SF Giants are out on Matt Chapman?
Soler brings a mighty right-handed bat to a Giants order that badly needs it. Their offense could have used a bat like Soler's coming down the stretch last season. While he is limited defensively and will likely be used almost exclusively as a DH, he still could provide a lot of value for the Giants this upcoming season and beyond.
However, his signing does create a little bit of a logjam for the Giants. Before the Soler signing, it seemed like Wilmer Flores could see a lot of time as the team's DH since he was their best hitter last season. Now, we will likely see him more at first base while seeing time at second base or third base as well.
The only problem is that the Giants already have a third baseman in J.D. Davis and a first baseman in LaMonte Wade Jr. As the roster would currently stand with Soler in the lineup as the everyday designated hitter, perhaps the Giants would approach it this way:
Against right-handed pitching, the Giants would start Wade Jr. at first base and either Flores or Davis at third base depending on fit and need. Then, against left-handed pitching, they would put Wade on the bench due to the fact that he is much better against right-handed pitching. Flores would slot into first base with Davis at the hot corner.
The Giants may feel fairly comfortable with this arrangement, even though they are likely not too keen on putting Flores at third base too often. He is a much better defender at first base than he is at third base.
This semi-complicated set-up is what makes a Chapman deal seem unlikely at this point. If the Giants were to sign Chapman, they would probably need to trade either Wade or Davis.
It seems possible that the Giants are calculating that if they have both Flores and Davis splitting time at third base, they will get similar production to what Chapman will produce for nearly half the price. Some projections have Chapman signing a deal worth $25 million per year, while next season Davis and Flores combined will make roughly $13.5 million.
The Giants could still sign Chapman and trade Davis, which would most likely result in a platoon at first base between Flores and Wade unless Flores hits so well that he becomes the everyday first baseman.
The Giants could still go out and sign Chapman, but with the addition of Soler to presumably be the everyday DH, it seems as if the Giants may be done adding to the starting lineup. There are not many at-bats to go around with the current group, so it feels like they need to subtract before adding.