Matt Chapman, considered one of the best defensive infielders in baseball, has agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract with the San Francisco Giants, sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.
The contract also includes opt-outs after the first and second years of the contract.
Chapman's contract is very similar in structure to that of Cody Bellinger, who re-signed with the Chicago Cubs last week at his original maximum salary. Like Bellinger, Chapman has a built-in opportunity to test the market again in 2023 if he has a better season offensively.
Chapman, who turns 31 in April, won his fourth Gold Glove Award in 2023 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Since the start of the 2018 season, he has ranked first among all players at his position in points conceded and third in outs above average.
However, since Chapman became a free agent this fall, some talent evaluators are citing his offensive performance as a .226 batting average and 537 strikeouts in 446 games, despite hitting 71 home runs over the past three seasons. , privately expressed doubts about her interest in him. .
His 2023 season was a microcosm of the good and bad he produced at the plate. He got off to a very strong start, hitting .384 in April before plateauing after that, posting a slash line of .205/.298/.361 the rest of the year. Evaluators noted issues with his fastball.
The Giants have struggled to sign high-end free agents this past winter, with offers for Aaron Judge and others turned down. Chapman's addition should complement an excellent pitching staff and promising talent, including sinkerballer Logan Webb.
The New York Post first reported Chapman's deal with the Giants.