The New York Yankees are striving to reclaim the top spot in the American League East from the Baltimore Orioles. As the July 30 trade deadline approaches, general manager Brian Cashman is actively seeking roster improvements. One potential target is San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman.
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic highlighted four third basemen the Yankees could consider, noting the team’s inability to rely on veteran DJ LeMahieu. Chapman, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Giants this past offseason, is among the options.
“Given that he might become a free agent this offseason, Chapman’s trade cost would be lower than that of [Isaac] Paredes, making him a logical target for the Yankees if the Giants decide to sell,” Kirschner explained.
Chapman has an opt-out clause for re-entering free agency at season’s end. Currently, he’s hitting .234/.320/.409 with 13 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 65 runs scored in 412 plate appearances for San Francisco.
Chapman could significantly improve the Yankees’ third base situation. Despite his modest offensive stats, they surpass those of LeMahieu, who has struggled in 2024 with a .177/.270/.202 line, no home runs, 11 RBIs, and 11 runs scored over 142 plate appearances due to an early-season injury.
Defensively, Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric (OAA) places LeMahieu (five OAA) ahead of Chapman (zero OAA) this season. However, Chapman is historically the superior defender, boasting four Gold Gloves and two Platinum Glove Awards, given to the best defensive player in each league. Additionally, Chapman is highly durable, having played in at least 145 games each season since 2018, except for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and is on track to do so again in 2024.
Despite significant offseason moves, the Giants had a 47-52 record as of July 21, trailing the final National League Wild Card spot by 3.5 games.
“The Giants are over the first luxury tax payroll threshold and surrendered multiple draft picks to sign Chapman and Blake Snell, who had qualifying offers,” Kirschner noted. “Their main executive, Farhan Zaidi, faces intense pressure. This suggests they might buy at the deadline, but their standing in the wild-card race makes selling a more logical choice to recoup assets.”
Interest in Chapman is expected to be high due to his track record and the likelihood of opting out of his contract in November. Zaidi and the front office’s decision at the deadline might depend on the team’s performance in the coming days. On KNBR’s Tolbert & Copes show, Zaidi expressed his thoughts on the team’s future.
“We’re 4 games under .500. It’s been disappointing. We pushed a lot of chips in with this team. We need the players to show the right direction for us,” he said. “If we keep playing like we did the last 5 days, we’ll have to consider selling and bringing in younger players.”
San Francisco’s strategy for the trade deadline remains uncertain, but if they decide to sell, the Yankees should at least explore the possibility of acquiring Chapman.