SF Giants Rumors: Juan Soto trade, Matt Chapman, expanding budget

SF Giants Rumors: Is San Francisco really targeting Matt Chapman?

Another big time bat that San Francisco has been connected to this offseason is Matt Chapman. Chapman was positioned going into the 2023 season to be one of the absolute top free agents this offseason. Unfortunately, his inconsistency at the plate hurt his stock a bit even though he remains one of the top position players available especially when you factor in his elite defense at third base.

The fit for the Giants here is fairly straightforward. The team could really use a strong defender after being one of the worst defensive teams in baseball in 2023 (-52 defensive runs saved is gross no matter how to look at it) and Chapman has never posted a wRC+ lower than 101 in his career thanks to having some pop and the ability to regularly draw walks.

There are some factors to consider with Chapman, however. One, while he is a good hitter, he isn't always an impact bat which is what the Giants really need. His defense will always provide a lot of value unless he loses a limb, but a career .240 hitter isn't exactly a guy that is going to turn an offense around especially when he is going to command north of $125 million with the Blue Jays and some other deep pocketed teams looking to add lineup help this offseason.

Secondly, Chapman is going to cost just enough that there could be some opportunity cost in signing him. The Giants aren't hurting for payroll space, but they are aiming high this offseason with targets like Ohtani and Yamamoto. If the Giants do end up signing Ohtani, they are probably out on Chapman and signing Yamamoto may make such a move tough. However, if they miss on one or both of those guys, expect San Francisco's pursuit of Chapman as well as Cody Bellinger to heat up considerably.