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.
define what “generational” is in your mind
If you don’t think Chapman is top 5 in MLB you don’t watch enough of him. He’s literally the greatest 3B of our generation, maybe all-time. Makes multiple incredible plays every game. Mashes at the plate and makes adjustments like the greats do. He swore at the end of last season that 2019 would be the worst batting line of his career, and with his intensity, I believe him. I’ve never seen a 3B like him, and all the old heads say he’s better than Brooks at 3B.
Lets not even get into how good Laureano is either, you probably aren’t ready for that convo….
He has the potential to be the best fielding 3B since Brooks Robinson. His batting could improve as well. He will still get into a little funk from time to time. If he keeps his k% from the first half of last year he turns into a 280-.300 monster.
On the major plus side the FA years that would be bought out for bigger AAV numbers would be after the first season in the new ballpark. Also Oak can opt out of there TV deal following the first season in the new park and with the media market size of the bay area and the team being good heading into the new deal with potential long term stars on deals, they will be looking at a truly massive bump on the current deal that was done before the real explosion in value for TV deals.
I bet a lot of players think that their most recent season will be their worst, until the next happens. Matt Chapman is not even the best player in his own infield, let alone one of the top 5 players in baseball.
Semien plays further up the middle then any other SS because of Chapman, and his defensive numbers have shot up since Chappy moved in. He is like the Curry gravity effect where he makes the entire infield more productive defensively.
Chapman is only like Curry in that he has the same amount of Finals MVPs as him.
Wait a minute, did you forget b Arenado exists? Legit they are way too similar then you would think
Beltre and Arenado are both in “our generation.” So are Bryant, Bregman, Donaldson, Machado, Rendon.
You’re clearly being facetious, for some reason; you can’t really believe what you just wrote, S4.
No, he’s serious. Strike Four has been on these comment sections for years using many different usernames as a rare Athletics homer. Last off-season he was saying that Chapman was going to challenge Trout for best player in baseball, and I bet he still believes that.
You could make a case that he’s the 3rd-best 3B in his division. Nice talent, but not quite Mike Schmidt or George Brett.
Apparently, durability means nothing to you. Players like Brooks and Brett did it consistently for almost 2 decades. He’s a great player, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. That said, the A’s gave away Josh Donaldson, so don’t expect them to break the bank anytime soon.
And played 2.5 seasons
Dude pump the brakes a bit. He’s a very good player and yeah probably a top 5 3B in the game right now sure. But “top 3B of his generation”? And “greatest 3B of all time”? Please man c’mon.
ChapmansVacuum
I don’t like coming on treads about other teams and challenging fans assumptions. It good to be a fan. Chapman is one of the best. .
We really have no idea how good Brooks Robinson was. I grew up in the 60s, and didn’t catch a lot of Baltimore games, and even if you did, there weren’t enough cameras to show you how good he was. You are taking other people’s word on it.
Today, we have “Outs Above Average’. Google BaseballSavant outs above average. We know who the best defensive players are. It’s no longer guess work. We know what players do well and what they don’t do well.
Cough cough Arenado is pretty good too. I mean sure he’s only a 7 time golden glove award winner, consistent allstar and always batting .300. But he’s apparently not as good as Chapman… you’re a clown bro. Just say he’s awesome not the best ever.
Put Chapman in Coors and Arenado in the coliseum and there’s no comparison between the two. Chapman is head and shoulders above Arenado.
I don’t think Chapman wins that first platinum glove without Matt Olsen, too many errors. Olsen deserves a lot of credit, a great pairing with Chapman’s range and insane throwing arm.
It’s unfair to past players and the player you are putting up against them to even make this argument at this juncture. Glad you think so highly but there’s absolutely no way to make a conversation based on any fact to support that kind of prediction. The kid is still arbitration eligible through 2023!!! There are so many factors that go into greatness. One is longevity. So let’s pump the brakes a bit. Certainly has some serious upside and potential but I wouldn’t start making that argument for many years. Trout maybe the only current player I’d be willing to start talking about that with given how great he’s been and how long he’s played at that level. He’s done enough to start appreciating what we’ve seen but Chapman has a long career ahead of him and it’s a lot easier said than done. You wanna aim high maybe start with Scott Rolen conversation(if you assume he was clean which is an if). I remember the comparisons and expectations from him too but ultimately he fell well short. Great career but didn’t meet that kind of standard.
@24theKid
Buy a clue, Giants fan. Your 3 titles happened because the Rays didn’t draft Posey like they were supposed to, you don’t know what truly elite players look like, Posey only had one of those. Chapman has 10+ WAR seasons in him, no one else on the A’s infield or anyone other than Trout, Judge and Betts have those in the AL.
chapman a 10 war season? LOL. Terrible takes.
Mike Trout is generational. Ken Griffey Jr was generational. Barry Bonds was generational.
Chapman is a very, very good player who could develop into a great player – but he is not even the best 3B in the league. He is not a generational player.
WRONG. Chapman is far and away the best defensive 3B in the game. He has relentlessly shown since day one his INF defense is the greatest ever seen in MLB history. He basically plays both 3B and SS at the same time, Semien does like half the work normal SS’s have to do. On top of that, Chapman is a early-middle order masher on a contender. Literally, we have not seen anyone like that in a generation, and on top of that, Brooks Robinson’s bat pales in comparison.
But that word (generational) means different things to different people, and thats what leads to entirely pointless arguments, so….
how much you get your kush for? It seems to be knocking loose some brain cells. Omar Vizquel, Pudge Rodriguez, Rey Ordonez some of the INF who are better than chapman. Grow up. Learn baseball
S4, you’re cracking me up.
You’re killing me Smalls. Oh wait sorry – you’re killing me Strike4. You have to be Chapman’s Dad. Right?
Greatest in history???? Dude, stop smoking crack. Crack kills. He’s a tremendous 3B, no doubt, but comparing him to the greatest of all time is premature.
You are 100% right. Chapman is a generational talent. already the best in the game. Better than Rendon Arenado Machado Donaldson etc. without a doubt The best defensive third baseman I’ve ever seen
There is no legitimate quantitative support for a claim that Chapman is a “generational” 3B defensive talent, let alone for across the board for 3Bs, and a claim that he is a generational talent across all non-pitchers is especially unhinged. Sorry – he is a very good player, and that is it.
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.