Matt Chapman Comments On His Future In Toronto
Matt Chapman has been a mainstay in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup since being traded from the Oakland Athletics in March 2022.
While he hasn’t been able to perform like he did in Oakland, at least offensively, the third baseman has provided some pop and excellent defense at the hot corner.
When he came over from the A’s, the Blue Jays signed him to a two-year, $25 million contract to cover this last two years of arbitration.
He is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2023 World Series, and has already made his intentions clear.
“All-Star 3B Matt Chapman says he has thoroughly enjoyed playing for the Toronto Blue Jays since leaving Oakland and certainly would welcome returning as a free agent,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale tweeted.
All-Star 3B Matt Chapman says he has thoroughly enjoyed playing for the Toronto Blue Jays since leaving Oakland and certainly would welcome returning as a free agent.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 4, 2023
It’s unclear if the Blue Jays will be willing to pay his expected price.
This year, Chapman has been far from his best version.
In 140 games and 581 plate appearances, Chapman finished with a .240/.330/.424 line, a .755 OPS, and 17 home runs.
He also hit 39 doubles and walked 62 times.
It looked like Chapman was going to have a career-season in April, though.
He slashed an impressive .384/.465/.687 in that first month of the season.
After that?
He hit a disappointing .205/.298/.361, and that brought down his season numbers considerably.
Defense is not a problem for the former Platinum Glove award winner, but offensive consistency is.
He remains a good player at a relatively young age (30 years old).
Perhaps he is able to come to terms with the Blue Jays to stay in Toronto.
The offensive potential is there to hit 30 or more home runs per year with some adjustments.