Top 3 Matt Chapman Destinations in Free Agency

A three-time Gold Glove winner at third base, Matt Chapman hits the free agent this offseason with a strange season under his belt. He did finish with an OPS+ of 108, slightly above average, but the second half of his season was a disaster at the plate, with just 5 HR, a .205 average and a .663 OPS.

Chapman went 29 games without a home run from late August through September, and finished the year with a career-low (for a full season) 17 dingers.

But the former first-round pick does have four 24+ home run seasons in his seven major league seasons. His market will be an intriguing one.

Here are 3 teams who will be at the top of the list of suitors looking to sign the 30-year-old.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Ancient veteran Evan Longoria will be off the books after this season, and now as verifiable contenders, the Snakes should look to be in the free market this offseason to plug some holes.

The team was 4th-worst in baseball for OPS from third basemen, at .644, and while Chapman didn't have a tremendous season on offense, he does bring the potential to pack some punch at the plate, and has shown it in years past.

New York Yankees

Another team with a woeful mark at third base this season—.655 OPS was 25th in baseball, and .221 average was 26th. They do have plenty of young players who might be able to slot in there, from Oswald Peraza to Oswaldo Cabrera, plus veterans DJ LeMahieu and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. But Chapman, based on defense alone, would be an improvement on all of them.

Toronto Blue Jays

Chapman fit well in the Toronto clubhouse, and the team certainly loves the defense he brings at third. The question is how high they'd be willing to go in the bidding.

From his standpoint, Chapman certainly enjoyed his time in The Six.

"They really care about their players, and there's nothing that they wouldn't do for you. So I have a lot of respect for everybody in this organization and definitely open to coming back."

All-Star 3B Matt Chapman says he has thoroughly enjoyed playing for the Toronto Blue Jays since leaving Oakland and certainly would welcome returning as a free agent.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 4, 2023