According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, the Mariners have been discussing the possibility of signing free agent third baseman Matt Chapman. These discussions could be part of the team’s due-diligence explorations or a result of president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto reaching out to Chapman’s representatives.
Seattle’s third baseman position seemed to be locked in with Eugenio Suarez at the start of the offseason. However, Suarez was traded to the Diamondbacks in November, creating a vacancy. Luis Urias was initially expected to take over for Suarez, but that changed after a trade with the Twins brought Jorge Polanco to the team. With Polanco now established as the team’s second baseman, Urias and Josh Rojas were expected to platoon at third base, with Dylan Moore providing depth.
Signing Chapman would shake up the infield picture and push Rojas, Urias, and Moore into backup roles unless they get some playing time at first base. Adding Chapman, a multi-time Gold and Platinum Glove winner, would greatly improve the Mariners’ defense, as France, Polanco, and Crawford haven’t received favorable defensive metrics in the past.
Offensively, Chapman would provide an upgrade, although not as significant as one might expect. Since the start of the 2021 season, Chapman has a 110 wRC+, while Urias has a 107 wRC+ and Rojas has a 99 wRC+. Urias and Rojas struggled in 2023, but their previous two years showed solid numbers, albeit in less playing time than Chapman.
Chapman had a mixed season in 2023, starting strong but struggling later on due to a finger injury. Despite this, he still had a 110 wRC+ with 17 home runs. However, Chapman is known for being a free swinger at the plate, which goes against the Mariners’ goal of improving contact hitting. The team had the second-highest strikeout rate in baseball in 2023.
Aside from on-field considerations, the Mariners also need to consider whether they can meet Chapman’s contract demands. The team’s recent purchase of the ROOT Sports Northwest regional sports network has added expenses, limiting their available spending this offseason. Other teams, such as the Giants or Cubs, might be in a better position to meet Chapman’s asking price.
Dipoto has historically been more open to trades than expensive free agent signings. The Mariners’ payroll for 2024 is projected to be $135 million, leaving limited room for a significant contract like Chapman’s. Additionally, the team has had previous interest in Chapman during the A’s fire sale after the 2021 season but ultimately held onto prospect Noelvi Marte, who was later traded in the Luis Castillo deal.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com