The Blue Jays may not be the best team in the American League. (Yet.) But they have an increasingly strong case for being the most fun.
Toronto made a deal for Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman on Wednesday—giving up a package of prospects to land a defender who has historically been one of the best in the game. It gives the Blue Jays a stacked infield. And it reiterates their commitment to contending in a crowded AL East.
Kevin Sousa/USA TODAY Sports
The Blue Jays entered the offseason working on their pitching staff. While reigning Cy Young winner Robbie Ray chose to walk in free agency and sign with Seattle, Toronto was quick to make other moves, including bolstering the rotation with a five-year deal for Kevin Gausman and a three-year deal for Yusei Kikuchi, and anchoring the bullpen with Yimi Garcia. The team was coming off its best performance in half a decade with a 91-win season in 2021. In a tough division, that still had not been enough to crack the playoffs, but it sent a message that the club was ready to press for more in 2022. That point is only underscored by adding Chapman.
There had never been much question that Oakland would deal the 28-year-old: The rebuilding club is currently in the process of unloading a significant chunk of its roster. It was only natural that would include a three-time Gold Glove winner with just two years left before free agency like Chapman. At his best, he’s an absolutely magical defender, responsible for highlight reels like this and this and this. No third baseman has accumulated more defensive WAR since 2017, the year he debuted in the majors. (The only player who has accumulated more at any position is shortstop Andrelton Simmons.) It’s not one part of Chapman’s defense that is so capable but all of it: his range, his arm, his reflexes. Add in a capable bat with a lot of upside, and he can be a seriously captivating player. In an infield with Vlad Guerrero, Jr., Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette? This Blue Jays team should only be even more of a delight to watch.
Yet there’s still a question about just what they will get from Chapman in 2022. Last year was his worst season yet in the majors—which still meant he was a sharp defender and a league-average hitter. But the dip is still rather worrying. After a season-ending hip injury that required surgery in September ’20, he has struggled to regain his old level of performance at the plate. Previously, Chapman had never slugged below .500. Last year? Just .403. His exit velocity, typically among the best in baseball, slipped to the middle of the pack. He experienced difficulty with breaking balls more than he ever had before. (His lifetime batting average on the pitches before 2021 was .232; last season, it dipped to .177.) His strikeout rate has increased sharply over the last two seasons, too. Which might all just be one anomalous stretch that he manages to rebound from with more distance from his injury. But given that there are no obvious signs of bad luck with batted balls or other clear source of his struggles that would be easy to address, it was surely a consideration for the Blue Jays, and it’s an open question of just what they’ll get from him at the plate this year.
Yet it’s worth reiterating: Even with all of that, Chapman was still league-average at the plate. (Exactly so: He posted a 100 OPS+.) And again, most of his value doesn’t come from his bat, anyway. His defense would be enough to carry him even with a weaker performance at the plate. If his hitting returns to where it was in 2018 and ’19, the Blue Jays will be getting a superstar. If it doesn’t … there’s still likely more than enough here to qualify as upgrading a position of need, particularly on an infield that was otherwise solid already, and for a reasonable cost.
Essentially, there’s just not much downside here for the Jays. Chapman is a free agent in 2024. While they did give up a considerable prospect package to get him, the best of their farm system was not included in that group. Three of the players they traded are ready or close to ready for the majors and mostly would have been blocked on Toronto’s current roster: shortstop Kevin Smith, starter Zach Logue and reliever Kirby Snead. The fourth prospect, Gunnar Hoglund, is the most promising, but he’s also recovering from Tommy John surgery. That makes the set a solid fit for the A’s; these are players who can slot into the rebuilding club right now.
And for the Jays? October beckons—likely with a new gem installed at the hot corner.
