San Francisco — when Giants If they take a player out of the lineup shortly before the first pitch, they almost always tell reporters why.
but no reason was given for this matt chapmanHe was ruled out late Wednesday. No strained hamstring while doing early work on the infield. No pain in his lower back from taking swings in the cage. No general aches and pains after playing 97 percent of the team’s defensive innings at third base this season.
It turned out that there was nothing wrong with Chapman physically. And the physical tests he underwent instead of playing probably made that clear. Because the Giants lost another game shortly after, losing 6-4. Arizona Diamondbacks When another last-inning assault failed, the club announced it had agreed to a six-year, $151 million contract with Chapman, under which he would be their third baseman for the remainder of the decade.
After so many free-agent investments in recent years that either disappointed or were reneged on, the Giants took the nearly unprecedented step of hitting the open market with a client of Scott Boras and guaranteeing themselves continuity at a position where their system offered no near-term options.
At the hot corner, the Giants now have a cornerstone.
official: #SFGiants And if Matt Chapman has agreed to terms on a six-year contract extension pic.twitter.com/1AUUzapfEi
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 5, 2024
Chapman’s contract extension is the second-most expensive in franchise history behind Buster Posey’s nine-year, $167 million deal in 2013.
Chapman had signed one of those deals with an escape clause in March after market forces failed to provide him with the multiyear contract that his offensive track record and platinum glove defense at third base suggested otherwise. It was a poorly kept secret that Giants manager Bob Melvin, Chapman’s former skipper with the Oakland A’s, had been lobbying hard for a reunion and was very fond of both the 31-year-old’s skill set and the lunchpail mentality he could bring to the clubhouse. But Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was able to successfully wait for Boras to sign Chapman to a shorter-term commitment: a three-year, $54 million deal that included player opt-outs after the first two seasons.
Chapman will almost certainly exercise that opt-out after this season. He reestablished himself as a much better-than-average offensive presence (121 OPS+) and his defensive value has allowed him to grade out as an off-the-charts value generator. Thanks to him, the Giants lead the major leagues in wins above average at third base (4.0). Chapman’s 6.0 bWAR ranks ninth among major league position players; the only player on the NL West roster who surpasses him in that metric Los Angeles Dodgers DH’s Shohei Ohtani,
It is not customary for a Boras client to work with leverage to make his free agency less free. But Chapman made it clear to club officials that he wanted to stay in San Francisco, and the third baseman aggressively pursued the process, according to a person with knowledge of the process.
There’s nothing special about the extension. Chapman will earn $25 million per season through 2030. He will also receive a $1 million signing bonus in 2025. A no-trade clause was not mentioned in the club’s news release, though Chapman will gain that protection at the end of the 2028 season, when he will be a veteran with 10 years of service, including five years with his current club.
With four weeks left in the season, Chapman is already the only third baseman in the Giants’ San Francisco era to record at least 30 doubles, 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases in a season. Under-the-hood metrics point to a player who is the strongest bet for a player aging well into his mid-30s. He continues to grade out at an excellent level in both sprint speed as well as bat speed, according to Statcast. And coaches and teammates praise the example he sets for the rest of the room with his competitiveness and consistency.
These are significant measures for an organization that has done its share of battling clubhouse complacency in recent years. By committing to Chapman, the Giants are signaling that they understand more than just the importance of committing to a player who creates value and has actuarial attributes. They’re signaling that they understand the importance of a player who has what it takes to lead the creation of a winning clubhouse culture. They’re investing $151 million in that.
It’s unlikely the Giants will find enough common ground with the left-hander Blake SnellAnother Boras client with an opt-out clause to take him off the open market as well. But that’s a possibility if the club makes Snell a sufficiently lucrative offer. Perhaps in the wake of the Chapman news, the prospect of a Snell extension might brighten a bit.
Required Reading
(Photo: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)