The stellar left side of the Athletics’ infield might not stay intact for much longer. Shortstop Marcus Semien is due to reach free agency next offseason. The two sides have shown interest in an extension, but nothing has come together thus far. There’s less pressure to lock up third baseman Matt Chapman, who won’t be eligible to reach free agency until after 2023. However, Chapman’s hoping for a long-term deal all the same, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
“I’ve been telling them: I’m ready. If the offer’s right, I’m willing to sign with the A’s,” Chapman told Slusser. “I want to be here.”
Talks on a new contract haven’t occurred recently, Chapman informed Slusser, but he noted, “Usually those things pick up more in spring training.”
To this point, Oakland hasn’t signed anyone to a larger guarantee than the $66MM pact it handed one of its former third basemen, Eric Chavez, in 2004. They’ll need to pony up far more for Chapman if they’re going to keep him under wraps for the foreseeable future.
The 25th overall pick of the A’s in 2014, Chapman has emerged as one of the foremost players in baseball since he debuted in the majors in 2017, owing to a combination of defensive wizardry and terrific offense. Going back to 2018, Chapman’s first full season, just five players (a group you may have heard of in Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Alex Bregman, Christian Yelich and Anthony Rendon) have outdone Chapman’s 12.8 fWAR. He batted .263/.348/.507 with 60 home runs over 1,286 plate appearances during that span, and the two-time Platinum Glove winner ranked first in baseball in Defensive Runs Saved (47) and third in Ultimate Zone Rating (25.7).
Chapman’s clearly either a complete player or close to it, so it should be a boon for the A’s that he doesn’t want to play for another team. It remains to be seen whether low-budget Oakland will pay the necessary amount for the superstar Scott Boras client, but moving into a new stadium in the near future – which is the A’s goal – would help matters.
It would be out of character, but it would be prudent for the A’s to buy out his arbitration years and sign him long term. This is a generational type player.
10/300 quit being cheapskates. Pay him what he’s worth.
10/300?????
like 9/140-175 give him the first Pujols deal with increases for time since it happened.
A’s won’t go there. But he’s better than Machado by a country mile.
He has 1 pre arb year left and 3 arb years left. That would be stupid if any team gave him that money.
Crumpy, he’s going to get quite a bit in arbitration anyway. Best to lock him up.
Wonder how many a’s fans think Semien and Chapman will be resigned by the low-budget (aka cheap) a’s … neither of them I bet.
New stadium is about to break ground and almost no hurdles are left with it. Owner has deeper pockets then most MLB owners so he could afford to lose a little for a few seasons to increase his franchise value and profits over time. They have a TV opt out in the 23-24 offseason which will allow them to secure a top 5ish TV deal since they are in a top 3 media market by size.
All of those things will occur before Chapmans deal starts ramping up in AAV after the reasonable arb payout replacements. Semiens deal would cover 2 FA before that but could be a back loaded like 5 year extension.
Matt Chapman: *wants extension*
A’s: I have 3 dollars
So true!
Last year Chapman didn’t seem that interested in an extension talks and Boras is known to advise young breakthrough players to get to free agency as fast as possible. Boras knows the A’s couldn’t possibly afford a long term Chapman contract… so I guess a play for something guaranteed during the arbitration years? General public image?
When the team extended KD early in the season he made a comment about that being the type of thing he wanted the team to show him for him to want to sign long term with them.
Extend the dude. Every other team would extend if they had him. He’d look stellar in Dodger Blue.
I wish the A’s would sign him long term but I don’t see them doing it because of Scott Boras. Maybe Matt Olson long term though. Chapman with either be a future Yankee, Red Sox or Dodger if he left.
Selwonk – Man, I really would like the Yankees to entertain Chapman when he goes to FA. Think he’s a great player and A’s would be wise to sign him longer term; but Boras…………………
Pretty sure Torres will be manning the hot corner by then.
I’m thinking the A’s are going to wait until the middle of the season to decide on Semien. If he’s not hitting like he was in 2019, then they will offer him a QO and hope he accepts. If that happens, then he will hit FA at age 31, which will probably mean a smaller-year deal if 2019 was just an abnormally good year. He could potentially still be the long-term SS there this way.
If he’s maintaining his 2019 standard or topping it, then the big extension gets offered, especially if they break ground on the new stadium in Oakland which could possibly happen this year. If they break ground, then they’ll extend the core, because they have to sell out the new stadium as many years in a row as possible. Semien, Chapman, Olson, Murphy, Laureano, Puk, Luzardo, Manaea, Montas, Hendriks all could get it.
Big year looming for Oakland (potentially), finally…..
It depends. If Semien will take a deal avg his last 4 years production wise going forward then they sign him right away. If he wants to be paid like a top 3 producer where last season is his value then they will at least make him prove it. He also probably knows his defensive WAR would be lower if he didnt have Chapman letting him play closer to 2B then any other SS in MLB.
do a nationals deal where he gets 250/8 but its paid over 40 years
The Mets still have Bonilla day where they pay him his annual million. It ends up being like 28M/28Y instead of 5m/1Y they owed him. The mets are so lolsy.
Pay the man
Billy Beane and Co to convince A’s main owner Fisher to spend the buckies extending Semien, Olson, and Chapman, period!
I mean they are building a privately financed stadium which nobody does anymore because the dude has money, and they will probably make back the payroll in profit on the redeveloped current Colosseum site. TV opt out the winter after the first year in the new park. The design looks pretty with a like hanging gardens of Babylon design.
The Giants did it.
The Giants got a massive tax break that SF is fighting them over 30 years later.
Does 4 yr/70 mill for semien and 5 yr/100 mill for chapman get it done? That said, i expect both to be gone at some point. Mateo will be the SS in 2021 and nick allen after that
Double both those. Chapman and Semien are elite players in their prime, those are aging-Donaldson numbers. Both of them are currently better than Donaldson, who is also a borderline-elite player.
Again, crack smokin’. Marcus Semien has been in the league since 2014 and has had ONE all-star season. He was a below average hitter the first five years, not cracking 100 in wRC+. Let’s see if he could repeat last years offensive breakout before you say he’s the greatest SS of our generation. LOLOLOLOL
Those numbers won’t nearly get it done. Yanks would pay double to upgrade their left side infield defense which might be major league worst right now.
I hope they lockup Chapman and Olson to long term deals. One would stand to reason, that the logic of a new stadium needs a face to start an era. Even though an upcoming tv deal would offset substantial costs I don’t see them spending. If you have been paying attention at all, this ownership group doesn’t care about what fans want. If they get a new stadium at the terminal, ownership will assume that fans will fill up the stadium regardless. And a bitter A’s fan is still a fan who will sit an embrace any hero that performs even if isn’t Chapman.
Greg Olson?
Matt Olson, the greatest defensive 1B in MLB history. Dont post if you dont watch the game,
Hilarious
You are something else. Not a chance, @StrikeFour. Also, it is so obvious that ChapmansVacuum and StrikeFour are the same person, and it’s even kore funny that you are replying to yourself above.
Agreed
Mrs. Olson. Great coffee.
I can’t agree that they don’t care what the fans want, I’d say they’re struck in sticking to spending XX% of operating profit, so if the new stadium leads to more revenue, the payroll budget increases
> Ownership doesn’t care about what fans want.
They signed Khris Davis, a one dimensional hitter but fan favorite, to an extension. Calm down.
I’m a little drunk and can’t reply directly, but Chapman is a generational player(atleast by Oakland’s standard). 6 WAR floor, team captain, constantly improving as a hitter,best defender at regardless of position, wants to play for Oakland, and constantly improving. There’s no other player that’s worth it imo for that front office.
It’s more likely he’s on another team in the next 3 years than extended by the A’s. Has anyone been watching the past 25 years?
I’m not arguing that, still jaded by the Donaldson trade. That’s why I’m praying it happens.
Problem is Donaldson was a jerk. He moaned and complained after the 2014 season and there’s no place on the A’s for a guy like that. Talent is only part of it, but personality is almost as big a part of it.
The offensive drop off in the second half is a concern. I would like to see some advancement there. Defensively he is the best infield defender in baseball. His impact on Simian is obvious allows simian to be gold glove caliber rather than just really really good. The Oakland foul territory allows Chapman great highlight opportunities. I really hope they can work out an extension but I would not expect anything till next offseason, doubtful it will happen considering Chapmans agent
Agreed, I wish he woulda sustained his 1H batting. Regardless, my main point in this thread, buyout the next 4 years, maybe 2 FA years= 6 years for 110 million? Can I dream?
Boras would never settle for buying out free agent years. 4 year deal to buy arbitration years would be around 4/48. After that, he’ll be trying for 8/248. No way Oakland keeps him.
CarGo says hi
I’m hoping for an extension too. Sorry Matt, not going to happen from Oakland.
Matt Chapman, Cal State Fullerton Titans.
Titan Alum here, was there when Chapman was. That 13 squad had 5 major leaguers! Was pretty awesome to root for them as fellow students and see them blossom professionally
Well, made a basic comment about college baseball but apparently that’s too riske for the comment sensors, and 24 hours later the conversation is long gone with the comment invisible! Thanks For throwing my comment in the trash until the story is gone, MLBTR! (and it’s still in the trash btw, still hasn’t been approved. Unreal. Been 9 stories Since but can’t let us talk about them!)
Thanks for letting conversation happen guys. Not
The suit is blacknot
Wow, the Chavez contract is still the biggest contract in A’s franchise history? How embarrassing, how does this team still have fans?
Because they win
Cash spent per win only on par with Tampa. If either team spent league average they’d dominate the AL every year.
Uh, maybe because the A’s are consistently one of the best teams in MLB. Maybe that’s why?
Why he still wants to play in that sesspool. I’m him I run out of there.
But alas, you are you.
You’d be a sesspool running out of a sesspool if you were him. That’s not anything to be proud of.
He is already locked up for 4 years. Has 1 pre arb and 3 arb years. So for an extension you would have to think a 10 year deal. I think the fair offer would be 10 years $185 million. Avg 18.5million per gets paid in the cheap years and gives up some in the high years. Risk on both sides
@stepupjays
Thumbed up your comment but honestly think that’s a cheap deal. Arenado is getting 35m a year, Josh Donaldson (with the buyout) 25m a year. If I’m Matt Chapman – and I’m his 2nd biggest fan after strike four above – I’m looking at 6/7 years for that money even taking into account three years of arbitration. He’ll be looking at 25-30m come the final arb year, no?
Appreciate Chapman doesn’t have quite the bat of the other two but I’d argue he’s the best defensively.
6 year $235m extension for a pre-arb player? One year at the minimum, 3/$50m for arb.
So you are pricing Chapman’s age 30 and 31 seasons at $92m apiece… 4 years before he even reaches free agency. Great.
…….
If he really wants the security he might take a Chavez-money deal for arb + 1 FA season. He hasn’t made any decent money yet and pushing FA from 31 to 32 isn’t the hugest deal, Pujols and Greinke did fine at that age. Boras wouldn’t stop him, he supports what his guys want to do after giving his advice.
Overpay.
Brooks Robinson racked up 39.1 dWAR over a 23 year career. Chapman has racked up 7.9 dWAR in 3 seasons.