SF Giants finalize Matt Chapman contract, transfer young pitcher to the 60-day IL

On Sunday, the SF Giants announced the Matt Chapman signing. Since the 40-man roster was full, they transferred Tristan Beck to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.

SF Giants finalize Matt Chapman contract, transfer young pitcher to the 60-day IL

Chapman's deal was originally reported as a three-year, $54 million pact with an opt-out after each of the first two seasons. However, the official team announcement is slightly different in that it is listed as a one-year deal with player options for the next two seasons and a $20 million mutual option for a fourth year. That mutual option had not previously been reported, but the substance of the deal is not radically different than the original terms reported.

The Giants had been connected to Chapman all offseason and it felt inevitable that he would land in San Francisco for a number of reasons. Perhaps, the most notable reasons include that he grew up in California and played for Bob Melvin for five seasons with the Oakland A's.

The 30-year-old is coming off of a solid 2023 campaign in which 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.

Chapman's best asset is his glove and he continued to demonstrate that with the Toronto Blue Jays last season. The veteran third baseman tallied +12 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and +4 Outs Above Average (OAA) while earning his fourth AL Gold Glove award. The addition of Chapman will help to bolster the team's infield defense, which is especially important given that the pitching staff excels at keeping the ball on the ground.

On the other side of the transaction, the Giants transferred Tristan Beck to the 60-day injured list. The young pitcher has an aneurysm in his upper arm and will undergo vascular surgery to correct the problem. He had already been ruled out for Opening Day before being placed on the injured list. A recovery timeline will be determined following the surgery.

Beck was looking to build off of a solid 2023 rookie campaign in which he posted a 3.92 ERA across 85 innings. He was penciled in to the Opening Day rotation, but the Giants will have to pivot to another option now. More important than baseball, we would like to wish Beck a speedy recovery from what sounds like a scary injury.