Is Matt Chapman or Cody Bellinger a better fit for the SF Giants?

Is Matt Chapman or Cody Bellinger a better fit for the SF Giants?

On the other hand, the SF Giants have been linked to Matt Chapman even before Bob Melvin became manager, but with all of the connections Chapman has to Melvin and third base coach Matt Williams, it makes even more sense to bring Chapman aboard.

Chapman is one of the best defensive third basemen in the league. He has won 4 Gold Gloves in his career. If the Giants commit to defense, Chapman would be an excellent choice to achieve that end. In fairness, so would Bellinger.

Everyone knows that the Giants need to improve on defense this season. While J.D. Davis improved significantly on defense last season, he is not necessarily at the level that Chapman is at. 

Chapman’s defense will help out the pitching staff as well. And with a rotation that already includes several pitchers like Logan Webb and Alex Cobb who reliably get ground balls, it will pay dividends to have a strong third baseman, especially with the young, untested Marco Luciano presumably at shortstop to start the season. 

Chapman’s profile with the bat is less inspiring. He started off 2023 hot before cooling off considerably to finish the year with a .240 average with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. That said, he dealt with lingering wrist and finger ailments in 2023 that likely impacted his production at the plate.

But Chapman has also shown he is a plus base runner which is something that any team, but especially the offensively challenged Giants, could use. 

I would say that Chapman is probably the better fit for the SF Giants. Given his history with Melvin and the Bay Area and the fact that he would be an upgrade on defense, he makes a lot of sense for the Giants. 

While both Bellinger and Chapman carry risks, Chapman just makes more sense for this Giants team given the current configuration of the roster.