Third baseman Matt Chapman was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday as the Oakland Athletics continue to dramatically reshape their roster as spring training opens.
March 16, 2022
Third baseman Matt Chapman was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday as the Oakland Athletics continue to dramatically reshape their roster as spring training opens.
A three-time Gold Glove winner, Chapman, 28, hit 27 home runs with 72 RBIs in 2021 but compiled a .210 batting average, the worst of his five-year career. He struck out a career-high 202 times in 529 at-bats.
In return, the A’s receive four prospects: right-hander Gunnar Hoglund (the team’s No. 5 prospect per Baseball Prospectus), shortstop Kevin Smith (No. 7), and left-handed pitchers Zach Logue and Kirby Snead.
Chapman was traded two days after the A’s traded All-Star first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves. As the lockout ended, right-hander Chris Bassitt, an All-Star last season, was traded to the New York Mets.
In 573 career games, all with the A’s, Chapman has 111 home runs, 125 doubles and 296 RBIs with a batting average of .243.
Hoglund was in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2021 but required Tommy John surgery. The Blue Jays selected him 19th overall, and said recently he could be ready to throw off of a mound before April 1.
The 25-year-old Smith was a fourth-round pick in 2017 and debuted with the Blue Jays in August 2021. He had three hits in 32 at-bats in his first MLB action.
The right-hander is a .268 hitter in the minors with 420 hits and 73 home runs in 1,570 at-bats.
–Field Level Media
