JUST IN: Giants star 3B seemingly criticizes A’s in his return to Bay Area
“It’s been close to twenty-four months since Matt Chapman, the third baseman, was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Matt Chapman said he’s excited to reunite with Bob Melvin to tend to some “unfinished business.”
“We had something really special building with the A's and unfortunately that got kind of ripped out of our hands and broken up. So to come back here and have an opportunity with an…
— Shayna Rubin (@ShaynaRubin) March 4, 2024
Chapman made a return to the Bay Area recently, inking a one-year contract worth $18 million with the San Francisco Giants. He wasted no time in criticizing the A’s for their past decisions regarding personnel. “We were building something truly special with the A’s, and unfortunately, that was abruptly halted and dismantled,” Chapman remarked. “So, to return here and have the chance to work with an organization like the Giants, which isn’t hesitant to invest and carry out all the actions expected of a winning franchise, we have that opportunity here.”
The 30-year-old was drafted by Oakland as the 25th overall pick in the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft and made his debut in 2017.
Chapman became the regular third baseman for the A’s in 2018, achieving career highs in various statistics such as hits (152), doubles (42), batting average (.278), on-base percentage (.356), and OPS (.864). He also secured his first Gold Glove that year and ranked seventh in the MVP voting for the American League.
His performance soared in 2019, with personal bests in home runs (36), RBI (91), and runs scored (102). He finished sixth in the AL MVP voting and clinched his second consecutive Gold Glove. Chapman also earned his first All-Star selection that year.
As a two-time recipient of the Platinum Glove, he led the AL in defensive wins above replacement (WAR) in both 2018 and 2019, with 2.9 and 3.3, respectively. However, his offensive output dipped in 2021 following the shortened 2020 season due to the pandemic.
Bob Melvin served as Oakland’s manager for more than 1,600 games from 2011 to 2021, winning the AL Manager of the Year awards in 2012 and 2018, and guiding the team to six postseason appearances. He managed the San Diego Padres in 2022 and 2023, leading them to the NLCS in 2022 before losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games. Melvin joined the Giants in October.
Chapman’s departure from Oakland marked one of the final moves in a winter offseason that included a series of trades, including first baseman Matt Olson’s move to the Atlanta Braves for a package of four prospects.
After his stint with the Blue Jays, Chapman signed a two-year extension. During his time with the team, he amassed 44 home runs, 130 RBI, and maintained a .234/.327/.429 slash line over 1,047 at-bats spanning 295 games.”