The New York Yankees are seeking to reclaim first place in the American League East from the Baltimore Orioles. General manager Brian Cashman is seeking for squad upgrades as the July 30 trade deadline approaches. Could San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman be a viable choice for the Bombers?
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic identified four third basemen the Yankees could pursue “since they can’t rely on” veteran DJ LeMahieu. One of those choices is Chapman, who inked a three-year, $54 million contract with the Giants this offseason.
“Because he’s likely to become a free agent this offseason, the cost would not be nearly as high as it would be for [Isaac] Paredes, making Chapman a no-brainer target for the Yankees to consider if the Giants decided to sell,” Kirschner told reporters.
Chapman has an opt-out clause that he can use at the end of the season to re-enter free agency. He is hitting.San Francisco’s 234/.320/.409 batting line included 13 home runs, 43 RBI, and 65 runs scored in 412 plate appearances.
How Chapman Would Give the Yankees an Upgrade at 3rd Base
While Chapman’s offensive numbers aren’t very impressive, they’re far superior to what LeMahieu has accomplished for the Yankees in 2024.
LeMahieu’s season started late due to an early-season spell on the disabled list. In 142 plate appearances, he has a.177/.270/.202 batting line, no home runs, 11 RBI, and 11 runs scored. Even if Chapman’s offense did not improve after arriving in the Bronx, it would still be a significant improvement for New York.
When it comes to defensive performance, Statcast’s Outs Above Average measure (OAA) ranks LeMahieu (five OAA) higher than Chapman (zero OAA). However, Chapman has generally been a better fielder at the hot corner. In addition to his four Gold Gloves, Chapman has two Platinum Glove Awards. This award is given to the best defensive player of the year in each league.
Another advantage to following Chapman is that he plays almost every day. Aside from the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he’s played at least 145 games every year since 2018. He’s on course to keep the streak going in 2024.
Will the Giants Be Sellers at the Deadline?
Despite making significant moves this winter, the Giants entered the July 21 games with a 47-52 record. However, they started the day only 3.5 games behind the final National League Wild Card place.
“The Giants are over the first luxury tax payroll threshold, and they surrendered multiple draft picks for signing Chapman and Blake Snell, two players who had qualifying offers attached to them,” Kirschner told reporters. “Their chief executive, Farhan Zaidi, is likewise under great pressure. All of this suggests that the Giants could be buyers before the deadline, but they currently rank ninth in the National League wild-card standings. The smartest course of action would be to reclaim assets for a squad that is going nowhere.”
Kirschner also stated that interest in Chapman would be high given his previous track record and the probability that he will opt out of his contract in November. However, what Zaidi and his team do at the deadline may be determined by how things unfold in the next days.
On July 11, Zaidi appeared on KNBR’s Tolbert & Copes show and discussed what he and his front office are planning for the club’s immediate future.
“We’re four games under.500. Overall, it’s been a major disappointment. We made a significant investment on this team. “We need the players to show us the right direction,” he stated. “If we keep playing like we did for the last 5 days, we’re going to have to think about selling and seeing some younger players.”
What San Francisco does before July 30 remains unclear. If they sell, the Yankees should at least investigate about what it would take to get Chapman.
