4 teams that really missed the boat on Matt Chapman bargain buy

There was a lot of intrigue entering the offseason around what contract Matt Chapman was going to get. He had established himself as one of the best third basemen in the league, but was coming off of a down year offensively, clearly hurting his value.

Scott Boras held out hope that his client, Chapman, would get the big deal he’s been waiting for, but like Cody Bellinger less than one week prior, he’d end up settling for what’s deemed as a “pillow contract”. He did not get the lengthy nine-figure deal he was expecting, instead, he wound up signing a three-year deal worth $54 million with the San Francisco Giants.

Chapman did well by ensuring he’d have the chance to opt out of the deal after each of the first two seasons, but the Giants only being locked in for three years at most at under a $20 million AAV is outstanding business. These four teams had a chance at getting Chapman at a similar bargain but failed to do so.

4. The Tigers did well to upgrade at third base but could’ve done even better by signing Matt Chapman

The Detroit Tigers are a team many are deeming a legitimate threat to the Twins in the AL Central. The Tigers won 12 more games this past season (78) than they did in 2022 (66) and have only improved this offseason, bringing in guys like Jack Flaherty, Kenta Maeda, and Mark Canha. They could’ve arguably made themselves favorites to win MLB’s worst division had they signed Matt Chapman to play third base.

Third base was a major issue for the Tigers in 2023, as their third basemen were 28th in the league with a 74 WRC+ and tied for 28th with -1.0 fWAR. Signing Gio Urshela should certainly help, but Chapman is simply a better baseball player.

Urshela has a strong glove at the hot corner, but is not as good defensively as the four-time Gold Glove winner Chapman. Urshela is a better contact hitter than Chapman but does not have close to the same power output.

While Urshela was nearly a .300 hitter last season, he had just a 91 OPS+. Chapman’s batting average was and always will be significantly lower, but even in a down year he had a 108 OPS+. The Tigers got Urshela at outstanding value with the $1.5 million deal he signed, but they don’t deserve as much credit when they could’ve gotten Chapman at a pretty great bargain too.

3. The Blue Jays should’ve re-signed Matt Chapman if this was all that it took

It’s understandable that the Toronto Blue Jays had no interest in signing Chapman to the lengthy deal he seeked entering the offseason. Chapman got off to an unbelievable start but really slowed down as the season progressed, and wound up hitting free agency at an inopportune time.

While Chapman’s platform year was not one that he or the team wanted to see, it’s pretty clear that he’s a better player than he was in 2023. His 108 OPS+ this past season wound up being the second-lowest mark of his seven-year career. Even with that being said, he was a tick above average as a hitter, and won his fourth Gold Glove Award.

What Chapman is hoping for in this deal he signed with the Giants is to have a great first year, opt-out, and then really cash in next offseason. Even if Chapman never opted out, the Jays would’ve only been stuck with him for three years at under $20 million annually. Seems like great value for an elite defender who you can rely on to play 140+ games and hit 20+ home runs.

Right now, the Jays have no clear starter at the hot corner. Players like Cavan Biggio, Davis Schneider, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Santiago Espinal, and even Justin Turner should see plenty of reps there. They have a ton of MLB-caliber infielders, but the only proven starter of the bunch is Turner who at age 39 is probably suited best for a DH spot anyway.

The Jays look a bit worse on paper than they were last season now that a Chapman reunion is off the table which is a major issue considering the fact that they were swept in the Wild Card round last season.

2. The Cubs should’ve addressed their biggest need by signing Matt Chapman

The Chicago Cubs did what they had to do entering this offseason. They re-signed Cody Bellinger. The terms of the deal aren’t as team-friendly as fans may think, but the bottom line is they got their guy. Bellinger increases Chicago’s chances at winning a weak NL Central dramatically, but adding Chapman could’ve made them clear favorites.

The weakest spot position player-wise on this Cubs team is the hot corner. New acquisition Michael Busch is expected to play first base, leaving one of Patrick Wisdom or Nick Madrigal to man the hot corner. The Cubs could potentially use Christopher Morel there, but Morel is best suited to be a DH with his defensive limitations.

Chapman could’ve made one of the best lineups in the NL just that much better while also giving them yet another defensive wizard to put alongside Gold Glovers Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson.

Part of why Chapman to the Cubs was a bit unappealing was because one of their top prospects, Matt Shaw, looks like their third baseman of the future, but with how this deal is structured, Chapman could’ve been a Cub for one year before signing elsewhere long-term, opening the door for Shaw to step in. On a cheap short-term deal, the Cubs missed the boat by not signing Chapman when they now have to rely on guys like Wisdom and Madrigal to play a majority of the time at third base.

1. The Mariners missed out on signing the perfect Eugenio Suarez replacement

The Seattle Mariners have had a weird offseason, making a series of cost-cutting moves despite being right in the thick of contention in the AL West. Sure, they missed the playoffs last season, but they made it each of the two years prior and still won 88 games. They have one of, if not the best rotation in the league, and a superstar in Julio Rodriguez to build their lineup around. Adding an All-Star like Chapman could’ve really helped.

Right now, their third baseman is projected to be a platoon consisting of Josh Rojas and Dylan Moore. That’s a clear issue, and one that should have been rectified by signing Chapman. It would’ve given the Mariners a defensive upgrade while also giving them yet another big power bat to plug into their lineup.

Last season, Seattle had Eugenio Suarez manning third base. Suarez is a similar kind of player as he strikes out a lot and hits for a low average, but also hits a ton of home runs. Chapman blows him away defensively, however, and happens to be two years younger as well.

The Mariners have saved money this offseason by trading players like Suarez, Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales, Evan White, and Robbie Ray. They’ve done well to improve a lackluster offense by acquiring players like Jorge Polanco, Mitch Garver, and Luke Raley, but signing Chapman to play over the likes of Rojas and Moore could’ve put Seattle in the drivers seat over teams like the Astros and Rangers in the AL West.

This article was originally published on fansided.com as 4 teams that really missed the boat on Matt Chapman bargain buy.