Report: Giants still in running to sign Chapman, Snell
The San Francisco Giants may not be done with their preseason shopping just yet.
San Francisco is in contention to sign reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman, sources told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Both stars are clients of Scott Boras and are still on the market after their free agencies stalled over the winter. They're also both attached to draft-pick compensation after rejecting qualifying offers from their previous clubs at the start of the winter.
Chapman - who spent five years playing for Giants manager Bob Melvin across the Bay in Oakland - would provide San Francisco with instant stability at the hot corner and a needed power bat. Wilmer Flores is the team's current projected starter at third, while J.D. Davis could also see some time there.
The 30-year-old Chapman is coming off a down offensive year with the Toronto Blue Jays in which he hit .240/.330/.424 with 17 homers and 54 RBIs in 140 games. But he still provided his usual stellar defense at third, earning his fifth career Gold Glove after tallying 12 defensive runs saved.
The Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Chicago Cubs have also been linked to Chapman this winter.
Snell, meanwhile, won his second career Cy Young in 2023 after posting a MLB-best 2.25 ERA along with 234 strikeouts for Melvin's San Diego Padres. His ability to prevent home runs would make him a good fit to pitch at the spacious Oracle Park.
The Giants' primary competition for the 31-year-old appears to be the Yankees, who reportedly still have an offer on the table for the southpaw. New York is continuing to talk to Boras, although there's been no progress toward finding a deal, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Monday. The Los Angeles Angels have also been linked to Snell this offseason.
The Giants' continued interest in Snell comes amid news that rotation candidates Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn are dealing with injuries early in camp. Winn was shut down for at least a week because of discomfort in his right elbow, while Beck flew to San Francisco this week to see a hand specialist, according to Slusser.
San Francisco's busy offseason has included signing star Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, pitcher Jordan Hicks, and slugger Jorge Soler to multi-year deals in free agency.