Star third baseman Matt Chapman left the Toronto Blue Jays to sign with the San Francisco Giants earlier this week.
Now, it's being reported that Chapman turned down a significant offer from the Blue Jays before signing with the Giants, according to Scott Mitchell of TSN:
“Man, Blue Jays must have no payroll wiggle room because this is the type of deal I expected them to match, especially because Chapman is going to opt out in eight months. It’s a head scratcher they’d offer 6/$120M within the past year, then not circle back on this.”
Despite the interest from the Blue Jays, Chapman ended up with a three-year, $54MM guarantee from the Giants, and the third baseman can opt out of the deal after either the 2024 or 2025 seasons. Based on sheer dollar value alone, it is easy to second-guess Chapman’s decision to reject Toronto’s extension offer at the moment, though six years and $120MM would’ve seemed like something of a bargain for Chapman for much of the 2023 campaign.
Chapman's contract with the Giants has two opt-outs after each of the first two seasons of the deal. The money he receives also decreases every year, with the first year paying the most at $20 million. Chapman gets $18 million in the second year, and $16 million in the third.
The one-time All-Star and two-time Platinum Glove awardee has always been known as one of the best defensive third basemen in the league. His recent offensive production leaves much to be desired, especially after a 2023 season that saw him hit just 17 home runs after back-to-back years of hitting 27 homers for the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays. Chapman finished the latest season with 54 RBI along with a .240 batting average and .755 OPS.
Follow Us
Subscribe