The San Francisco Giants are not just losing. They are tearing it down. Tony Vitello’s first season as manager has turned into a fire sale, and the front office is ready to listen on almost anyone with a big contract.
Third baseman Matt Chapman is the most obvious candidate to go. He is owed $100 million over the next four years, and according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies are both logical landing spots.
Feinsand reported that the Giants are prepared to take offers on their highest-paid players — Chapman, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers — but Chapman might be the easiest to move. His glove is still elite. He won a Gold Glove as recently as 2024 and has five total, plus a Platinum Glove. This season he is hitting .252 with seven homers and 41 RBIs across 73 games, with a .737 OPS. That is solid but not spectacular. The value comes from his defense at the hot corner.
The Phillies need another bat
Philadelphia started slow but has climbed back to 40-35. They are in the playoff mix, but they do not look like a team that can make real noise in October. Adding a veteran like Chapman who can hit in the middle of the order and lock down third base could be the difference between a first-round exit and a deeper run. The Phillies have shown they are willing to spend. Chapman’s contract is big, but it is not prohibitive for a team that wants to win now.
The Cardinals are already ahead of schedule
St. Louis was supposed to be rebuilding. Instead, they are 40-33 and have surprised everyone, including themselves. Trading for Chapman would be a signal — a loud one — that the front office thinks this group can compete right now. It would be a complete shift in organizational philosophy. But if you are playing winning baseball in June, do you really punt on the season just because you planned to rebuild? The Cardinals might decide the plan has changed.
Chapman is 33 years old and still playing at a high level defensively. His bat is not what it was in his Oakland days, but it is good enough. And in a market where elite third basemen are hard to find, he might be the difference for a team that needs one piece to get over the hump.
The Giants are committed to the tear-down. Chapman’s time in San Francisco is almost certainly over. Who picks him up will depend on which team is willing to pay the price — both in prospects and in dollars.
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