Time Is Ever More Unfavourable To The Oakland A’s Matt Chapman Trade

The Toronto Blue Jays experienced a moment of celebration as their teammate hit a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during a Grapefruit League spring training game at TD Ballpark on April 02, 2022, in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

In a continued effort to rebuild their team, the Oakland A’s made another trade in March 2022, this time sending former All-Star third baseman Matt Chapman to the Toronto Blue Jays. This marked their third trade in a week, with Chris Bassitt being moved to the New York Mets and Matt Olson being traded to the Atlanta Braves. In all three cases, the A’s opted for younger and more affordable players over established veterans. Although trading youth for experience is a common practice in sports, the extent to which the A’s have embraced it over the past two seasons, especially within that one week, is noteworthy.

The trade involving Matt Chapman can be characterized as “expensive for cheap,” rather than simply “old for young.” While Chapman had a subpar performance in the 2021 season, striking out over 200 times with a plummeting OPS of .716, he still had the potential to bounce back. In his two seasons with the Blue Jays, he managed to improve his strikeout rate and achieved OPS+ seasons of 116 and 108, respectively. However, his defensive skills at third base have declined. Nevertheless, Chapman remains an above-average player, and if he were still with the A’s struggling offense, he would be their best player.

In terms of the players the Athletics received in return, the outcome appears bleak. One of the four players obtained, starting pitcher Zach Logue, struggled in both the Major League and Triple-A levels and is no longer in baseball. Reliever Kirby Snead has been removed from the 40-man roster and needs a quick turnaround to salvage his career. Infielder Kevin Smith has yet to find success at the Major League level, batting only .173 and striking out excessively. The youngest player acquired, starting pitcher Gunnar Hoglund, has potential but has a long way to go to reach the Major League level.

Overall, the trade resulted in the A’s receiving no significant major league players in exchange for an above-average player like Chapman. While Hoglund and possibly Smith still have a chance to prove themselves, the odds and time are not in their favor. It becomes increasingly apparent that the trade of Matt Chapman was primarily a financial move for the A’s, saving them approximately $20 million in salary obligations. It remains to be seen if they will gain any more value from the trade.

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David Rodriguez

David Rodriguez brings the excitement of Major League Baseball to readers. With a deep appreciation for America’s pastime, he covers the latest MLB news, scores, and player achievements, keeping fans up to date with their favorite teams and players.