Matt Chapman free agency: Yankees, Giants, Mets among best landing spots for one of top hitters in class

Major League Baseball’s free-agent duration is open for industry, and that may imply simply one factor: it is time to partake in rampant hypothesis till offers get started getting signed. As such, CBS Sports will probably be spending the following couple of weeks making an attempt to spot the marketplace for a number of of the wintry weather’s top free brokers.

Today’s center of attention is on 3rd baseman Matt Chapman, a profession .240/.329/.461 (117 OPS+) hitter with 162-game averages of 29 house runs, 80 RBI, and 5.8 Wins Above Replacement. CBS Sports not too long ago ranked Chapman because the fourth best free agent to be had this offseason. Here’s what we wrote on the time:

The reprise of this free agent class is “yes but.” It applies to Shohei Ohtani’s UCL, Blake Snell’s command, Cody Bellinger’s ball-tracking knowledge, and so forth. In Chapman’s case, it applies to his hit device. He’s a super defensive 3rd baseman with elite power and plate self-discipline. He’s additionally extraordinarily ineffectual in opposition to increased pitches, ensuing in a well-below-average in-zone touch charge. That, plus Chapman’s tendency to hit pop-ups, explains why he is so streaky. (To wit, his April OPS this season was once just about upper than the sum of his May and June OPS.) The market is in large part with out just right infielders, so any person will make the leap and hope that he can ship a couple of extra years of well-above-average play. There’s simply extra drawback possibility than his differently robust foundational abilities would counsel.

Which groups appear likeliest to pounce on Chapman? Here are 5 guesses.

We are extraordinarily skeptical that the Brewers will become involved on Chapman in the early portions of the offseason. If, for some reason why, he reveals himself in the marketplace into the brand new yr, compelling him to imagine temporary preparations … nicely, then possibly the Brewers would pop into the equation. There’s definitely he’d have compatibility them nicely. Milwaukee may use an actual resolution at 3rd base after spending closing season entertaining Brian Anderson, Andruw Monasterio, and Josh Donaldson for more than a few stretches of the season. It’s only a subject of if (or when) his monetary calls for would have compatibility into their funds.

The protecting National League champions may use an improve on the scorching nook, having gained the sixth-worst manufacturing from 3rd base closing season. (The Marlins had been the one playoff workforce to rank decrease.) Free agent Evan Longoria might be on his option to retirement, and an Emmanuel Rivera-Jace Peterson platoon did not paintings in addition to expected. The Diamondbacks have a wide variety of monetary flexibility to play with, and Chapman would give Arizona some other well-above-average place participant to pair with outfielder Corbin Carroll and 2nd baseman Ketel Marte. 

The Yankees wish to bolster their lineup by some means this wintry weather. That does not essentially imply they will achieve this through making an addition to their infield. The Yankees have 3 spots at their disposal for Anthony Volpe, DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, and Oswald Peraza. Even in the event that they industry Torres (or, by some means, discover a taker for LeMahieu) they will nonetheless have extra our bodies than lineup spots. You can argue that they will have to signal Chapman anyway and determine the way it all suits afterward — possibly so, however that isn’t how the Yankees have operated as of past due.

The Mets will function a wild-card membership on a number of top free brokers this wintry weather till it turns into transparent whether or not or now not they are big-game buying groceries once more. Chapman is not any exception. It’s imaginable that new boss David Stearns has a extra bullish view of younger Brett Baty’s defensive talent. In that case, Baty will most probably function the Mets’ 3rd baseman for maximum of the 2024 season. Should Stearns have a extra bearish learn at the former top prospect, then all bets are off and the Mets may finally end up rising as a significant candidate to signal Chapman this offseason.

The Giants have attempted arduous to land a top free-agent hitter in fresh winters, bobbing up simply quick on Aaron Judge and parachuting out of the Carlos Correa settlement over scientific issues. Chapman is not on that stage, in keeping with se, however he may bolster an offense that would use the lend a hand. The counterargument here’s that the Giants already make use of J.D. Davis and Casey Schmitt. To that, we’re going to say that Davis’ glove is a deficient have compatibility on the scorching nook and Schmitt did not carry out nicely sufficient on the plate to benefit passing on a reliable All-Star 3rd baseman.