Gold Glover goes Blue

The Blue Jays acquired star third baseman Matt Chapman for prospects, bolstering their infield to one of the best in baseball.

There are not many times when you can do this, especially in the last few years of Toronto sports teams. (Looking at you, Leafs.) But for the 2022 Toronto Blue Jays, you can make an exception. For this team, believe the hype. It is 100% real. The Jays already had one of the best rotations in baseball, when they signed Yusei Kikuchi. They already had an incredible offence. The outfield is very good.

And even though general manager Ross Atkins stated the Jays were not going after another position player, he broke his promise when the Jays swapped four prospects for the three-time Gold Glove winner and the two-time Platinum Glove winner. (Which is for the best fielder in each league from all positions.)

Just from that you can tell he’s a great defender. But it’s not just the stats (17 outs above average in 2021, tied for a career high) and the awards, he does all of this in style. All you need to do is fire up YouTube, type in Matt Chapman and the dazzling begins. He is so quick to the ball, almost as if he knows where it’s going before the ball makes contact with the bat. His arm is super strong, and it makes superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s job a whole lot easier.

The Blue Jays really needed this. They had an infield, but only at first, second, and short. Now, at third, they have one of the best to do it on defence.

Yes, that is a real photo. Can Matt Chapman fly? Well, maybe for a little bit when he wants to (David J. Philip/AP)

Although Chapman is recognised as one of, if not the best defensive player in baseball, his hitting is not that bad. Even coming off a down year by his standards, playing in the cavernous Oakland Coliseum is much more daunting (and harder to hit a home run) than the Rogers Centre, where dingers come much more often.

That said, he still hit 27 home runs and slugged .403. The problem is that he walked 80 times, compared to… 202 strikeouts, which is not something to be proud of. Home runs? Sure, from park-to-park they can change, and he will hit more in Toronto. But striking out? That can be hard to cure. Right now, it is completely up to hitting coach Guillermo Martinez to fix. In today’s all-in league where strikeouts are more common, it’s not a bad thing, but he’ll have to up the batting average and OBP if he continues to swing for the fences.

The interesting thing about Chapman is that he isn’t a gamble, per se. He is owed $9.85 million over the next two years, and that is massive for a guy of his talent. So even if his stats dip a bit, the Jays have him under contract for 2023 and at a hair under $10 million he’s super affordable. Extending him would be a key if he can produce like he did in 2019, his All-Star year, where he hit 36 home runs.

“Last year was the trailer. This year is the movie.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. upon hearing about the Matt Chapman trade.

There are too many narratives to count. The Jays haven’t found a reliable third baseman since Josh Donaldson, but even then he slowed down a little bit toward the end of his Jays tenure. Donaldson, like Chapman, is a third baseman, was on the Athletics, and was traded to the Jays at 28 years old. The similarities are just perfect. (Donaldson was also traded for four players.)

All in all, Chapman adds to the fun of this team. On a day they were celebrating Vladdy’s birthday, Chapman was added to the squad. Guerrero stated this after the signing: “Last year was the trailer. This year is the movie.”

Well it will be scenic for Vladdy, who will have an everyday first baseman and won’t have to make plays that are risky and could result in injuries.

Chapman said that he “packed light for Arizona [where Oakland plays Spring Training] in case something happened.”

Well, he was right. And now, the Blue Jays odds to win the World Series are third-best in MLB. Chapman is slated for a big year, and so are the Jays. Maybe the shiny new first baseman can win a MVP while he’s at it as well.