By Canadian Press

Third baseman Matt Chapman and Giants reach a $54 million, 3-year deal, AP source says

Mar 2, 2024 | 10:00 AM

NEW YORK (AP) — Third baseman Matt Chapman and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $54 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

Chapman will get $20 million this year and can earn $18 million in 2025 and $16 million in 2026, the person said, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity Saturday because the agreement had not been announced. Chapman has the ability to opt out after each season to become a free agent again.

The 30-year-old Chapman won his fourth Gold Glove last year and turned down a $20,325,000 qualifying offer from the Toronto Blue Jays on Nov. 14. Because Chapman turned down the qualifying offer, the Giants will lose their second-round draft pick and give up $500,000 from their international signing bonus pool. Toronto will get an extra draft selection after the fourth round.

Chapman batted .240 with 17 home runs, 39 doubles, 54 RBIs and a .755 OPS in 140 games. Toronto finished third in the AL East at 89-73 and was swept by Minnesota in their best-of-three Wild Card Series.

Chapman got off to a huge start, hitting .384 with a 1.152 OPS and 21 RBIs through the end of April, but he slumped most of the rest of the way, tailing off to .205 with five homers, 15 RBIs and a .663 OPS in the second half.

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The right-handed hitter set career highs with 36 homers and 91 RBIs for Oakland in 2019, when he made his only All-Star team and finished sixth in AL MVP voting.

His OPS dipped to .716 with 202 strikeouts in 2021 before a rebuilding Oakland team traded him to Toronto in March 2022 for a package of four players.

Chapman is a .240 career hitter with 155 homers and a .790 OPS in seven major league seasons. He was seventh in AL MVP balloting in 2018.

Chapman was selected 25th overall by the Athletics in the 2014 amateur draft out of Cal State Fullerton. He played the past two seasons under a $25 million, two-year contract, making a $12.5 million salary each season.

J.D. Davis is the incumbent at third base with the Giants, and he also can play first base and left field. Chapman batted .307 with an .890 OPS against left-handed pitchers last year while Davis hit .247 with a .728 OPS against lefties.

Chapman will become the fourth free agent addition for the Giants after outfielder Jorge Soler reached a $43 million, three-year deal, reliever Jordan Hicks agreed to a $44 million, four-year contract and catcher Tom Murphy struck an $8.25 million, two-year agreement.

Chapman’s deal is similar to the $80 million, three-year agreement between the Chicago Cubs and outfielder Cody Bellinger, who can earn $30 million this year, $30 million in 2025 and $20 million in 2026. The former NL MVP also can opt out after each season.

Both deals were negotiated by agent Scott Boras, who also has pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery along with designated hitter J.D. Martinez still remaining on the market.

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AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press