Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in about three weeks but a slow offseason means there are still plenty of free agents out there. MLBTR already took a look at the catchers, shortstops, center fielders and first basemen still available and will now take a look at some notable third basemen.
- Matt Chapman: One of the best defensive third basemen in the league, Chapman leads the league in Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating since the start of 2017. In terms of Outs Above Average, he’s second, trailing only Nolan Arenado. Offensively, he’s strikeout prone but takes his walks and hits home runs. His 2023 season ended up a bit below his previous work, though that may have been caused by a late-season finger injury. His 17 home runs were his first time below 24 in a full season. Chapman’s .240/.330/.424 batting line and 110 wRC+ were a bit lower than his career pace, but through August 13, when he hurt his finger in a weight room incident, he had 15 homers and was sitting on a line of .255/.346/.449 with a 121 wRC+. A down year by his standards, he still produced 3.5 fWAR, his lowest in a full season. He’s had interest from plenty of clubs this offseason but remains unattached as Spring Training nears. Chapman turned down a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays, thus tying him to draft pick compensation.
- Gio Urshela: Going back to his 2019 breakout with the Yankees, Urshela has hit .291/.335/.452 for a wRC+ of 115. He’s generally considered a sure-handed defender, though the advanced metrics are split on his work at the hot corner. Urshela has been credited with 10 Defensive Runs Saved and a grade of 13.5 from Ultimate Zone Rating in his career work at third, but Outs Above Average gives him a dreary -18. He’s coming off a rough platform season, as he hit just two home runs in his 62 games with the Angels and walked in only 4.4% of his plate appearances. His .299/.329/.374 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 92. He then suffered a season-ending pelvic fracture in June. Despite that rough year, he’s the best shot at an everyday third baseman apart from Chapman. There should be a huge difference in terms of their earning potential, which could make Urshela attractive to those who won’t come close to Chapman’s asking price.
- Justin Turner: He won’t be relied upon as an everyday option at the hot corner or any other position, but Turner can still hit and isn’t entirely limited to a designated hitter role just yet. With the Red Sox in 2023, he appeared in 41 games at first, 10 at second and seven at third base. The Dodgers gave him 66 starts at the hot corner in 2022 and 135 the year before that. He’s now 39 years old and his time in the field will likely keep dwindling, but the bat still plays. He hit 23 home runs last year and slashed .276/.345/.455 for a wRC+ of 114. A one-year deal seems likely.
- Evan Longoria: One year younger than Turner, Longoria still managed to head out to third base in 41 contests in 2023, with solid metrics for his work out there. Unfortunately, his work at the plate wasn’t as strong. He had never struck out in more than 24% of his plate appearances in any season of his career until 2022, when that number jumped to 27.9% and then to 30.8% in the most recent campaign. His .223/.295/.422 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 92 last year. But just the year prior, he hit .244/.315/.451 for the Giants, leading to a 116 wRC+. He won’t be considered an everyday option, having not played 90 games in a season since 2019.
- Josh Donaldson: Detractors might say Donaldson is washed, and there are 2023 stats they can point to, such as a .152 batting average. He also made multiple trips to the IL and only played 51 games on the year. But he hit 13 home runs in that limited action and drew walks at an 11.6% rate. His .115 batting average on balls in play wouldn’t be sustained over a longer stretch of playing time, particularly given his 92.1 mph average exit velocity and 51.3% hard-hit rate, so perhaps there’s still a potent bat in there if the baseball gods quit messing with him. His defensive grades at the hot corner have stayed strong, even as he’s now 38 years old. Donaldson said in November he’d like to play for one more year and go out on a high note rather than the down season through which he struggled in 2023. He should be available on an inexpensive one-year contract.
Honorable mentions: Brian Anderson, Eduardo Escobar, Mike Moustakas
Where’s my boy bringer of rain?!
Donaldson? If so, He was the last one
If you need a guy who can play third and hit I believe Urshela is your guy.
Agreed. The signing team will get the most bang for their buck with Urshela. Chapman is an albatross contract waiting to happen. Not even sure where he’d fit at this point aside from maybe SF.
I wish people would stop saying this about Chapman. You don’t know how much Chapman is going to sign for. And he’s always been good and also been fairly healthy.
There is risk with all big contracts. Chapman isn’t unique.
How many burner accounts does Boras have?
Which is fine. I would do the same thing if I was in his position. Perception matters. It’s just harder to polish up some turds over others. That’s his job though.
His agent is Boras. Nuff said.
Donaldson back to New York so he can retire a Yankee is the feel good story we all need
Not only don’t need it, I don’t care and please don’t speak for me
Josh Donaldson and fellow free agent Tim Anderson joining the same team would be the feel good story for a few of us who have masochistic inclinations. 🙂
Idk how many times Boone wrote his name on the lineup card but 1 was too many. DJ at 3rd instead of JD, see what I did there, has to be good for at least a 3 game swing.
I’ll bet no one signs him. He’s toast and he has a bad rep.
Sorry I read that as Donaldson back to New York so he can retire the Yankees. I’m all for it.
You think he would retire with the A’s. I can picture all of the fans coming out of the stands to congratulate him. After he quickly meets all five fans, he is given the stadium in Oakland, and afterwards mugged in the parking lot.
Donaldson is a clubhouse cancer. When you are 38 years old, a terrible hitter and clubhouse cancer, your career is over. Bye Felicia.
He’ll probably sign for close to nothing and could be a bargain, if looks, brains, and personality don’t count.
“clubhouse cancer”
link?
Your eyeballs, had you had watched baseball in the last 10 years Steven.
Donaldson is what the Jays needed in 2015-2016. They don’t reach postseason if he was as cancerous as you claim.
I’m fully authorized to offer Anthony Rendon in exchange for a ham or comparable sandwich.
Sandwich need not be edible.
I’ll take the sandwich, but of course you’ll also have to include 100% of Rendon’s remaining contract to clinch the deal.
You’re going to have throw in a delicious pizza to offset that horrible contract lol
Word of the street is that Rendon isn’t worth a sandwich. Some are saying an unwrapped Snickers “fun size” bar, but I cannot confirm nor deny those reports.
Sold for the Snickers bar.
No take backs.
A ham sandwich sounds a steep price to pay but can I interest you in a slightly used Giancarlo Stanton?
We’ve already taken the unwrapped snickers fun size. Sorry.
I would pay large bags of cash to see Anthony Rendon try to play in New York. I don’t use this often, but “LOL”.
The New York media would aggravate the living heck out of Rendon if he acted the way he has towards the media if he were a Yankee and it would be extremely entertaining lol
What, no Hanser Alberto??
If Chapman would consider a one year deal, I would hope the Orioles jump all over him
I would do it
Don’t the Orioles have 43568754333 infielders? Serious question even though I got goofy with the number. Or maybe they just have young bats in general and it’s Cincinnati with all the infielders.
A one year deal?
Would work for me
Do you want to give up a draft pick for only a one year deal?
In this case, yes
Why would Chapman accept a one year deal? There’s not much incentive for him to do that. If he did, he’d be entering his age 32 season next year, and if he suffered an injury, or had a down year, he’d be screwed. A one year deal only works out for him if he has a big season. Risk/reward analysis would tell him to get as long a term deal as he can get this season.
I think Chapman and Boras thought they could get 5 years or more, although the demand for Chapman at that level is somewhere between extremely low and zero. He’ll do better than a 1 year for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised with a 3 year.
I agree, but I think that 3 years is the minimum he’ll accept, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him unsigned by ST,
I’d love to see a spreadsheet of Boras clients asks vs what they actually signed for. I’m guessing he wins more than he loses
I would think he could get 5 years no problem. Boras always surprises and asks for the world on a silver platter for his clients and usually gets it from some GM that puts a gun to their own head and bids against themselves. This year seems a little different as his clients don’t have impeccable track records to impress GM’s with. They excel in hitting or defence but not both.
Well, the Orioles have a great chance next season to make some noise in the playoffs
If he helped with that.,…..
Agreed. If he wanted just a one year prove it deal he would’ve accepted the QO.
Chapman has QO attached to him. Keep in mind the Os would lose a 1st round pick if they were to sign him. I’m not sure 20+ million and a first round pick is worth Chapman.
Well, he could be flipped too, if he does good and it would give Mayo more time, it could work
I didn’t know he had a QO attached
still though
I don’t know this as a fact but are the O’s not a revenue sharing recipient? If they are, they would lose their third round pick, if they are not, they would lose their second round pick.
Yes I believe they get a break
I forgot about that. So my Jays will not go near him at all. They love getting anything for free. Even crappy picks.
Chapman is going to the Giants with Bob Melvin. But not at the early prices that Boras was chirping about.
I have Chapman signing with the Giants in the contest, but you’re right Boras is going to have lower his expectations for what money he’s getting for an anemic bat.
I hope not I see an Evan Longoria 2.0. And even though Chapman would be an upgrade, IMO that upgrade would be marginal for what it will cost, even if the price comes down somewhat. I would rather see them go with internal options.
Chapman would be a viable option (and probably get much more pay-AAV if he accepted a one-year or conditional two-year deal. He likely won’t accept a one-year deal, imo, regardless of the offer, especially considering he’s a Boras client. I think his downward trending numbers are a big concern for a lot of teams. I also have him to the Giants, however.
I think teams view Chapman as a complementary piece vs a true star and that’s the issue boras is running into. He’s a good fit at a short term high aav for a competing team but a huge liability for a mid tier team on a long term deal. Realistically he should settle for a 2-3 yr deal with annual opt outs or even a pillow contract but it’s hard to say what exactly Chapman looking for, guaranteed years, guaranteed money or competing team.
Chapman to the Giants surely
Surely? Why? Davis had a better season than Chapman in 2023. Chapman is the better player, but the upgrade is marginal. Not worth the price/years.
Can’t Davis play other positions? Chapman produced 3.5 WAR last year playing through a finger injury.
“Davis had a better season than Chapman in 2023”
Davis? J.D. Davis? The same J.D. Davis that recorded a minus 11 DRS last season at the 3rd compared to Chapman’s plus 12?
The same J.D. Davis that recorded a 103 OPS+ compared to Chapman’s 108?
The same J.D. Davis that managed a 0.9 BWAR last season compared to Chapman’s 4.4 BWAR?
That Davis?
Fangraphs is a little kinder to Davis but using BWAR Chapman had a higher WAR in 2023 than Davis has had in his entire career.
I don’t know why everyone hates Chapman. Sure he’s risky lots of guys are risky. But he’s a good player.
Stats shmats, better is better
Because Chapman is a square peg and most teams have round holes at third.
Chapman would be a FANTASTIC piece for teams like the Yankees, Diamondbacks prior to trading for Saurez but I cannot think of many teams that can afford a premium for a defensive third baseman that doesn’t make an impact with the bat.
Career 117 OPS+
That’s impact. And he plays through injuries shows up every day. He’s Nolan Arenado lite. He’s a really good player
Canuckleball, You’re right. I made the mistake going from faulty memory. I did acknowledge that Chapman is the better player. I also was only referring to hitting, so I should have said almost as good. Davis has a 114 wRC+ for his career to Chapman’s 118.
Chapman’s numbers with the bat have been trending downward. Davis is still under team control for a year, and is cheap. Chapman is good now, but what will he be like 4-5 years from now?
So yes, Davis didn’t have a better season last year than Chapman. But I still stand by my opinion that the cost involved in upgrading from Davis to Chapman isn’t worth it, and is better used elsewhere.
Chapman very well could get less guaranteed money than that Korean guy sorry I can’t remember his name. He’s super risky. Yes Chapman is risky but he’s a darn good player who has been consistent and healthy his entire career.
Sorry, but again I have to disagree. If Chapman get anything close to what MLBTR projected, 6/$150M, it will be more than Lee’s 6/$113M. I would think the fact that Lee is 6 years younger than Chapman would make him less risky.
Say Scott finds 6 @ 21 per for Chapman. Lee is costing 113m plus posting fees paid to his former team in Korea. Ends up being more than the 126 that Chapman would be very lucky to get.
Yeah I don’t think Chapman will get 6 years 150. He will probably cost as much as the Korean guy probably really similar. And I sure as heck would take the proven Chapman over him.
“He will probably cost as much as the Korean guy…”
How about we don’t condemn Zaidi for something you only think will happen.
First Pete rose doesn’t belong in the hall of fame. He’s an admitted pedophile.
Second, I think Chapman will regret not taking Toronto’s extension offer. His market isn’t as robust as his agent thought it would be. He’ll probably still land a good contract but I wouldn’t be surprised if it fell shy of 100 million.
Chapman is a good player but it’s hard to find a fit for him. He isn’t a guy you build around, he isn’t a middle of the order hitter either so you have to be a competitive team in need of a third baseman that has a good line up already.
I feel the best fit for him was Arizona pre Suarez. Dodger make sense but they have Muncy at third. Yankees are a clear fit as he would be an improvement over DJL but aside from those teams, who have third baseman, where does he go? Cubs? cubs have a pressing need for a middle of the order bat and not enough money for both. It’s just so difficult to find a home for him.
I didn’t condemn Zaidi fella I barely know who he is and I sure as heck don’t read that far into the situation like you as a Giants fan are.
That prediction for Chapman always seemed high to me. And now that it’s late Januuary and only a few teams could use a 3b I doubt he gets more than the guy from Korea once you factor in the posting fee. And again I know which one I would pick. I would pick the proven player coming off a 3.5 win season.
DBacks were the best fit before the offseason started I agree.
Cubs good fit but with the Busch deal not so much anymore.
I think he signs with the Giants. Especially if the Giants can’t land Snell or Montgomery. If the Giants sign Snell then I really don’t know.
Boras’ games aren’t working this year.
Busch has nothing to do with it because he’s going to be the Cubs first baseman. Hoyer has already said that the Cubs intention is to use Busch at first.
Not that Chapman isn’t a good player but the Cubs have too many of his offense types, Happ, Suzuki, Swanson are all guys who can basically put up his production numbers. Morel is as well. Cubs don’t need another 20 home run bat that drives in 70, they need an impact bat.
It would also be one thing if the Cubs payroll was sitting around 150 million and they had enough money for both an impact bat, adding Chapman and a reliever but they don’t have that luxury while staying under the luxury tax.
I’m really interested to see where Chapman lands and what the dollars look like.
Busch has the ability to play 3b even if he won’t do it much. That allows the Cubs to be set at 3b with him, Morel, Madrigal and Wisdom in the fold. The point is there is no room for another corner infielder.
Chapman won’t get 60 million
I’ll take the over on that!
Chapman is pretty under rated. In 5 full seasons he has never had a WAR under 3 or played under 140 games, and won 4 gold gloves. He’s not a superstar but as solid as they come. I hope the Cubs grab him, would be better for them than Bellinger, b/c with Bellinger you don’t know what version you’re getting. I have a feeling somebody will wind up with buyer’s remorse big time if they give him 200M. Chapman should be cheaper and might be far better.
“Chapman is massively under rated”…You make an excellent case. Some really solid points especially the games played, which is huge. I’m sold. Sign me up for Chappy at 5/90M.
Yeah 5/90 is a more reasonable contract for what Chappy can do. I would even overpay to 6/120 which would still probably hurt my team a little but I could live with. Chappy’s defence is not where it used to be and is declining slowly. Chapman is not a must have on a team he is a luxury. I would have no problem walking away if that wasn’t accepted. Boras is going to get stuck holding his cards.
His glove still plays, but that bat is in serious decline. His second half splits are ugly (’23), and get even worse if you back out July.
Chapman had a great 5-6 week stretch early in the ‘23 season. But really struggled the rest of the season. I would worried about signing him long term if he struggles again with the bat.
So if you take out the times he was good he’s bad?
Woth Chapman tho that doesnt really mean anything. He’s one of the streakiest hitters ever. He could begin the year on a tear or suck for months he will have his stretches tho no matter what.
I think if you dive deeper into the numbers like LouWhitaker did, the numbers are ugly. April OPS was 1.150, & July .908. the other 4 months of the season he didn’t have an OPS over .633. Those 4 bad months, his K rate was over 30%.
I think the Cubs kinda already have that with Wisdom/Madrigal. Together they only cost $4M a year, instead of $25M. And they aren’t blocking any of the prospects. You sign Chapman and you have him until 2029.
So again of you take out the times he was good he was bad.
Call me when Wisdom or Madrigal ever have a 3.5 win season. Which btw was a down year for Chapman.
Call me when Chapman will take a $5M contract. Again, MY OPINION, is that I WOULD, rather not lock into a long term deal and instead have Madrigal/Wisdom or Madrigal/Urshela to cover 3rd until there are better options.
And yes, being consistent is a highly desired quality. Two months crushing it, and then 4 months where Madrigal has better production, that’s an issue.
Sorry, not a fan.
Chapman was 7th in WAR for 3b in 2023. He’s 7th in WAR for 3b over the last 3 seasons.
Do you know where the Cubs as a team rank over the last 3 years? I could look it up.
I see a lot of Javier Baez in Chapman. Scary.
Well, it’s seems like someone has a crush on Matt Chapman.
Chapman had 4 OAA. Nick Madrigal had 10 OAA in half the number of chances. For 4 months Chapman hit like Madrigal.
I think what you’re missing is I could careless about Matt Chapman. And I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to be the Cubs 3rd baseman.
Madrigal only had three less defensive run saved and 6 more outs above average in a third of the innings Chapman played.
Matt Chapman hurt his finger August 28th, so what is the excuse as to why he was terrible offensively in August, June and May?
Chapman is a fine player but he is a guy that lengthens a line up vs a guy who you can build a line up around. He’s a hard pass for me at 20-25 million AAV. Frankly, I would be hard pressed to offer more than 15 million per season across 4 years.
I doubt the Cubs sign Chapman they have plenty of corner infielders. Not good ones but they have plenty of them
Wisdom
Madrigal
Mervis
Busch
Morel
Not a single one is better than Chapman.
MotorCity, that was the very first comp that came to mind. Fantastic, you crush it for 3-4 weeks twice a year (48 games) for the other 114 games I have a huge hole and rally killer in the order.
No interest in Chapman in a Cub uniform. He looked great in an A’s uniform during the juiced ball era, but his OPS over the last 3 years has dropped 100 points for those days.
It doesn’t matter if Chapman is “better” or not. It comes down to fit and Chapman isn’t a fit.
Morel definitely has the potential to be more impactful with the bat than Chapman. He also strikes out a ton and you cannot have both Chapman and Morel in the same line up. Same can be said about Chapman and Wisdom.
If you’re not worried about offense, Madrigal is as good if not better defensively than Chapman.
You also missed the Cubs having Matt Shaw and Vasquez in the minors. Vasquez is a premier defensive shortstop with arm for days. He could very well be a fast mover with his recent swing adjustment. Shaw is working out at third, also stands to be a fast mover a la Nico Hoerner and Morel. He could be a guy they pluck from double a.
Morel, Mervis and. Busch aren’t 3rd basemen.
Morel can barely play 3b. Chapman is a gold glover. How you ignore that then talk about Madrigals defense in the next sentence I don’t know.
Shaw is a middle infield prospect who doesn’t have a good arm. Which again is weird you ignore that then mention Vasquez’ arm in the next sentence. And I don’t know who the heck Vazquez is. Is he anywhere near big league ready?
Morel and Busch can both technically play 3b. There is no room to add another infielder that’s my point.
Kyle Schwarber can “technically” play LF. Neither Morel or Busch are in the Cubs plans at 3rd, which makes your point irrelevant.
Then who the heck is playing 3b for the Cubs? Again no room for another infielder.
I bet anything both Busch and Morel will see time at 3b for the Cubs in 2024.
Matt Shaws arm is better than Madrigals and Madrigal is a premium defender at third.
Ignorance of the Cubs farm is not a good argument. Luis Vazquez spent time in AA and AAA last season.
Read comprehension is important, I never said Morel was a third baseman. You should have realized that when I said “you cannot have both Morel and Chapman in the same line up” or did you think we would have two guys standing at third?
Weird you over looked “if offense isn’t important” when I mentioned Madrigals defense, how you ignored that I don’t know.
Clearly deep thought isn’t your strong suit and processing information goes way over your head.
Considering Hoyer said Morel will be used all around the diamond, yeah, pretty strong odds he will see time at third.
Mlb.com has Shaws arm at a 45. But you are telling me you know more than they do?
Speaking of mlb.com their new prospect list will be released here in 40 minutes. I bet Vazquez doesn’t make the top 100.
Morel is a bench guy. A 10th man in a 9 player lineup.
You keep being a homer
I’m not sure you understand where the Cubs are with their payroll, roster, or with prospects.
Again, your opinion on Chapman is irrelevant. If Morel “could” play 3rd, zero chance Hoyer would sign Chapman. Morel may play a few innings at 3rd just as he’ll play a handful of innings at 2nd in ’24, but only to get his bat in the lineup.
Regardless of what you’ve seen on Busch’s stat page in terms of where the Dodgers played him. The Cubs did not trade Ferris so they could experiment with Busch. Busch is going into spring with the opportunity to win the 1st base job. No reason to speculate further until Busch does or does not earn that spot.
Shaw worked out at 3rd last year, his arm is just fine. Word was Madrigal didn’t have the arm. 10 OAA in his 1st go around, so… Madrigal is the starter at 3rd. Wisdom will likely platoon at 1st against lefties and spot start at 3rd.
Vazquez can play at any time. BJ Murray should be ready by mid season. Shaw could be as well.
Chapman’s defense is just fine. But Cubs lineup has too many righty bats. The struck out a ton last year. They have much better ways to use $20-$25M for this season and beyond.
For a Cards fan you act like you know an awful lot about your Division rival Cubbies. Are you sure you’re not a closet Cubs fan? Maybe your Cards should sign Chapman and send Gorman to the Tigers.
How on earth do you use the term “just fine” to describe Shaws defense at 3b and then use the same words to describe Chapman’s defense at 3b????
Come on dude.
You keep being a moron.
Morel posted a. .800+ OPS and hit 26 home runs on less than 400 at bats. “Bench piece”
Ask me if I care if a guy was a top 100 prospect. Ever heard of Kyle Hendricks? Justin Steele? Luis Arraez? Several quality major leaguers were never top 100 prospects.
Again, reading fundamentals escape you. I said Shaw had a better arm than Madrigal and Madrigal is a premier defensive third baseman.
I’m not saying I know more than mlb.com but I AM DEFINITELY saying I know more than you.
Read! Seriously group words together to form a sentence. For Christ sake, have someone read to you!!!
Shaws ARM “just fine” you have to be the dumbest troll on this board.
I see the Cubs play more than most teams because they are in the same division.
I like it when both the Cubs and Cardinals are competitive.
Everyone is hating on Chapman its not just Cubs fans.
The guy that should be getting discussed as a trade candidate is Moncada. He would help someone and is only signed for 1 year. The money could be worked out
I looked up Vazquez. He’s a bench guy at best. Really good defensively can’t hit a lick.
Why would the White Sox trade Moncada? I mean seriously, he is owed 29.8 million next year and put up a 0.7 WAR, the year prior 0.9. No team would touch Moncada in trade for any money nor would they trade any prospect of value. If Moncada hits a little to start the season, then they could possibly eat money and get possibly something of value
Why would you use MLB.com as your source? I and I’m certain drasco as well, prefer to listen to what the Cubs say and watch what they do. I’m pretty sure the Cubs have a better feel for what Shaw is capable of doing than you do.
Chapman was at 4 OAA last year. He’s no Nick Madrigal at 3rd, so he’s”just fine”. And Madrigal comes without the 33% K rate.
.271 .361 .456 .817 “can’t hit a lick”
Red Sox traded Sale. Sales makes more moeny and has produced less over the last 2 years. Braves wanted him. And the Braves are pretty smart.
I use mlb.com as a source because it’s unbiased. It sure beats taking the word of homer Cubs fans.
Madrigal has no track record at all. He’s played less 3b in his career than Chapman had in 2023.
What was the league average for offense in AAA in 2023?
You can look it up.
Luken Baker had an 1100 OPS playing in the same league. I don’t run around telling everyone how great Luken Baker is…..
But you will Matt Chapman.. fascinating.
Back to your inability to read and comprehend, I said Vazquez was an elite defender at shortstop with a fantastic arm. You claimed he “couldn’t hit a lick” but he can. And before you say anything else, he lowered his hands in 2023 to make him quicker to the ball, hence the improvement.
Sample size for Madrigal is plenty big to draw a conclusion. Graded out better than both Chapman and Arenado. Like you I see those two players as similar. Arenado had a solid ’22, but like Chapman he’s really sliding. No shame guys get old and production drops. That’s why we’re looking at the prospects that should be in Chicago by mid summer
Sale had a 1.7 WAR last season… Moncado had 1.6 over the past two seasons. I’m bad at math is 1.7 more than 1.6?
Mlb.com has 7 Cubs prospects in the top 100.
It’s too bad they dont know what they are talking about…
I trust the evaluations of the Cubs development team and scouting. I’m pretty sure they see their prospects more than MLB.com. personally I’m not fixated on top 100 lists or 5-star recruits.
Pretty simple…
Busch too. Cubs are probably rolling with Madrigal at third and Busch getting a shot at first. Think Bellinger is a better player than Chapman for them if he ends up being stuck accepting a shorter term higher AAV deal with an opt out. Cubs already have three third basemen with various plus and minus. Wisdom probably a PT DH and corner infielder when the match ups favor him. Ross had him riding the pines.
Sorry but I disagree. WAR is one thing but you can replace Chapman offense with just about anyone, literally, he’s league average. Being great defensively at a position that doesn’t require great defense isn’t the strongest selling point.
The risk vs reward for Bellinger far outweighs Chapman because where can you find a 30 home run 100 rbi center fielder who fields the position well? The guy is a unicorn. If he can’t stick at center the entire contract oh well because he would be an elite right fielder or first baseman.
At Bellingers worst, WORST, He hit 19 home runs, 27 doubles and 3 triples with plus base running, driving in 68 runs while playing plus defense in a defensive premium position. Put WAR aside and let that sink in, can you find many center fielders that hit 20 home runs and 30 additional extra base hits with plus plus value on the bases? Although he cannot field to save his life, Wisdom right now can produce Chapman offensive production.
Wish Detroit would sign Urshela then package Veirling and maybe Manning and Lange for a top notch closer.
Irshela hit 2 HRs last year. Vierling has more offence and is not a bad fielder. That’s no upgrade for the Tigers. He’s a backup. I’d rather see them fill in with Vierling, McKinistry and Ibanez and either see what Jung has next year or go get Bregman. Or they could trade for a young 3B capable player like Gorman (Stl), Marte (Cin), Vargas (LAD) or Mayo(Balt). Oh wait we need to trade Skubal, Tork and Greene to get any one minor leaguer from Cincy or Baltimore right 😉 haha
Ah yes. This whole time the baseball gods have just been “messing with” Donaldson. It’s not that he sucks or anything.
I completely forgot Matt Chapman was a free agent.
I’ll take Urshela for the Cubs. Serviceable bat and glove and not going to cost a lot on a cheap one-year deal.
Urshela is a professional hitter. Period. If he doesn’t break his freaking leg last year, his season could have been quite impactful.
A lot of people keep saying Chapman to the Giants, but I’d rather see them sign Urshela. He can play SS, and Zaidi mentioned wanting a veteran guy for short as insurance for Luciano.
I’d take Chapman on a two-year contract with an opt out after year one. Boras’ famous pillow contract that he’s updated to include a guaranteed second year. Chapman was so bad after April that I can see some teams being concerned to go long term. I’m sure he’ll get a multi-year deal from some team, but if he wants to roll the dice a bit, then a two year with opt out is the way to go for both sides.
Justin Turner on a 1 year would be perfect for the Cubs. They need the veteran leadership and playoff experience, as well.
Cubs have young third baseman will be ready next year.
Agreed. If they’re going the cheap route, JT could be an interesting piece. What if the Cubs resign Belli? It’d be interesting what the clubhouse becomes with those two in there.
Turner cannot play third anymore so where do you play him? He’s not a bad insurance piece at first and DH but that would require Morel to play third on a regular basis.
At first, I thought Arenado was a free agent, but then I realized it was just part of Matt Chapman. (facepalm)
Longoria to Boston makes sense with turner likely moving on. He’s not the hitter turner is but he will probably relatively cheap.
Donaldson should sign with the A’s
Maximum toxicity I like it.
First off, at cursory glance the way this article lines up on the page, it looks like they’re listing Nolan Arenado even though he’s obviously playing under a very lucrative but fair extension with a few years left on the deal.
But back to the main point:
These all feel like 1-2 year deal guys, at most.
Chapman feels like a 1 year/$20M pillow contract, but given his age, if he gets an offer of like 5 years/$85M, he should probably take it.
Urshela is a weird case of a player who became so overrated he’s come back around to being underrated. He’s the kind of player that got so so so overhyped that people thought he’d become like a Carlos Correa if Correa was worth some of those almost-record breaking contracts he didn’t actually get to sign.
But that doesn’t mean Urshela is worthless. I think Urshela is still worth like 2 years/$30M to 3 years/$40M w/ some kind of option.
Urshela is at an unfortunate age to need a pillow contract, but he most likely will require a pillow contract. Something like 1 year/$9M with a $3.5M buyout on a $5M player option and a $15M club option.
Turner is overrated at this point in his career. One of those players that obfuscates his diminishing overall value with increased more consistent power numbers, which generates RBI’s- but how valuable those RBI’s are is up for debate.
I think 1 year/$14M w/ a $2M buyout on an $18M club option seems fair at this point, in this market, crazy as that sounds.
Longoria is basically a glorified mascot/veteran presence mentor type if he wants to keep playing. I think 1 year/$4M seems fair all around.
Someone will give Donaldson a chance on a major league roster, but he’s toast. I think if he is willing to play for a very token $1M he’s a perfectly fine bet to roll the dice on, but literally anything beyond that would be an overpay.
Wouldn’t mind Urshela on the Cubs.
Lol. Chapman shouldn’t have overplayed his hand. He could have signed with the 95 win tigers,but he thought he was worth more and they moved on
It’s easy to root for Chappy and I think most of us baseball nuts are fans of his (I know I am) but he is in a unique scenario. We all know he’s going to get overpaid. Boras knows he’s going to get overpaid. The team that’s going to sign him; THEY know he’s going to be overpaid.
I too would like to see Donaldson one last time. A reunion with the A’s makes the most sense, but his bat would die back in the Coliseum. Don’t see a reunion with the Jays. Cubs make sense as a cheap, depth move, his original draft team, plus he played for Counsell last year. The problem for JD is that he’s reached an age (and ability) that most teams would rather give their minor leaguers and opportunity than a JD.
Angels definitely need a backup for the often tired Rendon. Chapman could take over everyday 3rd and put The tired one as primary DH with Trout mixed in at DH among others. Turner could help both corners. Or bring back Urshela.
The Angels must plan for Rendon’s nap days.
I don’t know why they even let Urshela test the market. He’s still a great fit for them and is a good enough hitter you can even just DH him to get the bat in the lineup
The 6-yr, $150+ mil for Chapman crowd got quiet suddenly.
I’m a fan of his and do know he will be overpaid but I don’t want to kill my teams salary structure for years into the future. 6/120 with as many opt outs as he wants cause I love opt outs. Your basically signing the player to a cheaper 1 year deal and getting the players prime year with a free incentive on the player to perform amazing to boost their value for the following year. Win/win for player and team.
What!?! Moose is still available!!!
I only guessed three correctly for the free agent contest: Ohtani, Nola and Kiermaier.
These are my 3B guesses:
Chapman – Cubs
Turner – Brewers
Urshela – Giants
Since Cash is on an apology tour why not sign Gio on a one year deal? He can play multiple positions so that gives you a lot of flexibility with DJ and it would keep both him, DJ and Rizzo fresh. We already know he thrives in NY and the fans love him.