Jays' Chapman: 'I want to continue to be here'

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman says 2023 will be an important season for him with free agency looming at the conclusion of the campaign.

"It's a big and important year, but I've built a pretty good resume and know if I play every game to win, take care of business and help this team win, what happens in the offseason after this will take care of itself," Chapman said Sunday, according to Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star.

The Blue Jays acquired Chapman in a trade with the Oakland Athletics last March. The club then inked the 29-year-old to a two-year, $25-million contract to buy out his final two years of arbitration eligiblity.

Chapman said he's happy in Toronto and wants to stay with the club beyond 2023 but is also keeping an open mind to the possibility of hitting the open market.

"I know the Blue Jays enjoy having me here and want to continue having me here," Chapman said. "I know I want to continue to be here and be a part of this team."

He added, "I kind of always anticipated playing out the two years and seeing what would happen. That doesn’t mean I'm not open to what could be a possibility, but that's not all entirely up to me."

Chapman posted a .757 OPS with 27 home runs and 76 RBIs across 155 games in his first season with the Blue Jays.

Since breaking into the league in 2017, Chapman sits fifth among all MLB third basemen in FanGraphs' WAR.

Chapman is a three-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Platinum Glove recipient. The one-time All-Star owns a career .797 OPS with 138 home runs and 372 RBIs over six big-league seasons.