For years, Matt Chapman, who recently played a couple of seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, has been considered the premier defensive third baseman in MLB.
It turns out he can hit some, too, accumulating 155 home runs and a .790 OPS in his career.
Even though he didn’t have his best season in 2023, he has hit the free agent market and is already looking for a team.
“Star free agent 3B Matt Chapman came to the GM meetings and met with a team or possibly more. Incumbent Jays were among multiple teams to meet with Chapman. He’s a priority for them,” MLB insider Jon Heyman reported.
Incumbent Jays were among multiple teams to meet with Chapman. He’s a priority for them https://t.co/5Js1ff2lGE
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 8, 2023
Retaining Chapman is a priority for the Blue Jays.
However, returning to Toronto might not be as high on Chapman’s list: there are no reports he disliked the team or the city, but he needs to secure the best possible contract for himself and his family.
If that contract is in Toronto, then he surely would be happy to return.
But if there is a better situation for himself out there, he will likely take advantage.
This past season, Chapman started off on fire but slowly faded and finished with a rather disappointing .755 OPS and 17 home runs in 140 games.
He had a .372 batting average, five home runs, 20 RBI and a 1.150 OPS in April, suggesting it was going to be a breakout year for him.
He couldn’t maintain that level of production.
In any case, given his power and elite defense – and age, too, because he is still 30 – Chapman will surely get a nice payday.
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