San Francisco Giants Emerge as Matt Chapman Favorites, Star Player Search Continues

Amidst the heavy noise around Cody Bellinger and the Cy Young winner Blake Snell, their fellow Scott Boras client Matt Chapman has remained hidden in the shadows. The heavy hitter has seen minimal movement till now in his free agency. With the 31-year-old looking for a mega contract, the Bay Area Giants are emerging as favorites for Chapman. 

Even though Chapman’s free agency has been silent, it doesn’t mean there isn’t interest in him. Multiple teams are currently taking part in his sweepstakes, but the San Francisco Giants seem “most likely” due to a connection between Giants’ president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and Chapman.

Matt Chapman gets a favorite in San Francisco Giants

Until last year, Matt Chapman was one of the most explosive hitters in the league. The slugger had touched 30 homers multiple times, but 2023 saw him lose some of that ability. Whether that was intentional or not, it did affect his perception. It reflects in his free agency which has been surprisingly silent but now, according to famous Insider Jon Heyman, the San Francisco Giants have emerged as the “Most likely” destination for the slugger.

Heyman also named the Chicago Cubs, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Seattle Mariners are possible suitors for Chapman. But the reason for the Giants being ahead was simple – Chapman’s history with the Bay Bombers’ front office. 

The current Giants President Farhan Zaidi was the one that drafted Chapman in the Oakland Athletics in 2014. But Chapman had a deeper relationship with the current manager Bob Melvin, who coached him in the A’s for five years. These connections give a hint about how things could fall into place for a possible reunion of all three of them. 

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At the same time, Chapman is from California and entry into the Bay Area would get him closest to his home. This could become a factor in the eventual decision of the slugger but because he’s a Boras client, here’s the real question – how much will Chapman cost?

What could be the potential contract for the slugger?

Despite having a slightly below-average offensive season, Chapman’s defensive skills remained the same with the slugger winning a Gold Glove award. More than offense, it’s his defensive prowess that makes Chapman such a useful addition to any team. Jon Heyman predicted that his contract would probably be over $100 million. 

If one knows anything about Scott Boras, one can expect that number to grow more. The super agent is famous for generating extremely large contracts for his clients. While the Bellinger and Snell saga may be making more noise, the Chapman sweepstakes might surprise us all.

Read more: MLB Rumors: Giants In for Chicago Cubs’ Free Agency Target? Competition Intensifies Amidst Slow Off-Season