SAN FRANCISCO — When the Giants scratch a player from the lineup shortly before the first pitch, they almost always provide a reason to reporters.
But there was no reason given for Matt Chapman’s late omission on Wednesday. No muscle strain while doing his early work on the infield. No twinge in his lower back from taking swings in the cage. No general soreness after playing 97 percent of the team’s defensive innings at third base this season.
It turns out there wasn’t anything physically wrong with Chapman. And the physical he presumably took instead of playing showed as much. Because not long after the Giants messily dropped another game, losing 6-4 to the Arizona Diamondbacks when another late-inning charge fell short, the club announced that it agreed to terms with Chapman on a six-year, $151 million contract that will make him their third baseman for the remainder of the decade.
After so many free-agent investments that either underwhelmed or opted out in recent years, the Giants took the nearly unprecedented step of jumping the open market with a Scott Boras client and guaranteeing themselves continuity at a position where their system offered no near-term alternatives.
At the hot corner, the Giants now have a cornerstone.
OFFICIAL: The #SFGiants and IF Matt Chapman have agreed to terms on a six-year contract extension pic.twitter.com/1AUUzapfEi
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 5, 2024
Chapman’s extension is the second-richest contract in franchise history behind Buster Posey’s nine-year, $167 million deal in 2013.
Chapman signed one of those deals with an escape clause in March when market forces failed to provide him with the multiyear contract that his offensive track record and Platinum Glove defense at third base would have otherwise suggested. It was a poorly kept secret that Giants manager Bob Melvin, Chapman’s former skipper with the Oakland A’s, was lobbying hard for a reunion and dearly coveted both the skill set and lunchpail mentality that the 31-year-old could bring to a clubhouse. But Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was able to successfully wait out Boras long enough to sign Chapman to a shorter-term commitment: a three-year, $54 million deal that included player opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.
Chapman was certain to exercise that opt-out after this season. He reestablished himself as a much better-than-average offensive presence (121 OPS+) and his defensive value 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 an NL West roster who exceeds him in that metric is Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani.
It’s not customary for a Boras client operating with leverage to make his free agency any less free. But Chapman made it clear to club officials that he wanted to stay in San Francisco, and according to a person briefed on the process, the third baseman aggressively pushed the process forward.
There are no bells or whistles in this extension. Chapman will earn $25 million each season through 2030. He’ll also receive a $1 million signing bonus in 2025. The club’s news release did not mention a no-trade clause, although Chapman would secure that protection at the conclusion of the 2028 season when he would be a veteran with 10 years of service time, including five years with his current club.
With four weeks remaining in this 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. The under-the-hood metrics point to a player who represents as solid a bet as you might find when it comes to a position player aging well into his mid-30s. According to Statcast, he continues to grade out at an elite level in both sprint speed as well as bat speed. And coaches and teammates rave about the example he sets for the rest of the room with his competitiveness and consistency.
Those are important antidotes for an organization that has battled its share of clubhouse complacency in recent years. By committing to Chapman, the Giants are signaling that they understand more than the importance of committing to a player who creates value and has actuarial attributes. They are signaling that they understand the importance of a player who has what it takes to spearhead the creation of a winning clubhouse culture. They’re investing $151 million in it.
It’s less likely that the Giants will find enough common ground with left-hander Blake Snell, another Boras client with an opt-out clause, to take him off the open market as well. But it’s a possibility if the club makes Snell a sufficiently compelling offer. Perhaps in the wake of the Chapman news, the possibility of a Snell extension might burn the tiniest bit brighter.
Required reading
(Photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)
