Before he hit free agency, the Blue Jays attempted to extend Matt Chapman’s contract; however, Chapman turned down Toronto’s offer, according to TSN’s Scott Mitchell. The precise timing and amount of the Jays’ offer are unknown, but Mitchell claims that Chapman turned down over $100 million over the course of a four- or five-year contract.
That is far less than the $150 million, six-year contract that MLB Trade Rumours is projecting for Chapman, who came in eighth on our list of the top 50 free agents for the winter. In a free agent class that is heavy on DHs, Cody Bellinger (ranked #2) and Chapman are the only real position players placed in the top 11 on MLBTR’s list. Shohei Ohtani is a DH-only player on pitching.
The relative lack of position-player depth on the market is to Chapman’s benefit after something of a shaky season. Chapman generated 3.5 fWAR largely on the strength another outstanding defensive performance, as he earned the fourth Gold Glove of his career. His .240/.330/.424 slash line and 17 homers over 581 plate appearances resulted in an above-average 110 wRC+, though Chapman struggled badly at the plate after winning AL Player Of The Month honors in April, and a finger injury later in the season contributed in part to those struggles.
Nonetheless, Chapman had some of the greatest hard-contact stats of any baseball player. Chapman’s career has largely followed this pattern, and 2023 saw him maintain his history of high strikeout rates and above-average walk rates. Agent Scott Boras will undoubtedly blame the finger injury for Chapman’s offensive decline because the player was on a tear in July and the first few days of August. He will contend that a healthy Chapman will produce greater numbers moving ahead and is therefore deserving of a larger contract.
It is extremely uncommon to have a Boras client turn down the opportunity to explore the open market, and it is comparatively uncommon to see elite free agents like Chapman accept extension offers thus close to free agency. According to Mitchell, the Blue Jays may still be considering re-signing Chapman, but maybe only if he decides to come back if he is unable to get a better deal, as opposed to the Jays raising their offer.
The one-year, $20.325 million qualifying offer is almost certain to be rejected by Chapman, thus the Blue Jays will be out of luck if Chapman joins elsewhere. Given that Toronto crossed the luxury tax level in 2023, this compensating choice would be selected in the fourth or fifth round of the 2024 draught. Whether or not Chapman returns, the Jays are searching for a variety of position players, though keeping the third baseman would undoubtedly fill a significant void in the lineup.
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