Matt Chapman Traded from Athletics to Blue Jays for Gunnar Hoglund, Prospects

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Wednesday that they acquired third baseman Matt Chapman from the Oakland Athletics for four players.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the A's will receive a bevy of prospects for Chapman in the form of pitchers Gunnar Hoglund, Zach Logue and Kirby Snead, as well as shortstop Kevin Smith.

Per MLB.com, Hoglund is the Jays' No. 4 prospect, Smith is No. 9, Logue is No. 27 and Snead is not inside the top 30.

The 28-year-old Chapman is a one-time All-Star and is widely considered one of the best defensive players in baseball, having won three Gold Gloves, two Platinum Gloves and one Wilson Overall Defensive Player of the Year award.

Trading Chapman is the latest in a string of big moves the A's have made this offseason in an apparent attempt to rebuild.

Last week, Oakland dealt starting pitcher Chris Bassitt to the New York Mets for a pair of pitching prospects in J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller.

They followed that two days later by sending slugging All-Star first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers and pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes.

In Chapman, the A's are losing one of their most talented players, as well as one of their glue guys due to his hard-nosed playing style.

He's spent each of his five MLB seasons in Oakland, and during that time he has hit .243 with 111 home runs, 296 RBI and 338 runs scored.

His best all-around season came in 2019 when he played elite defense and hit .249 with a career-high 36 home runs, 91 RBI and 102 runs. He finished sixth in the American League MVP voting.

Getting on base was an issue for Chapman last season, as he hit just .210 with an on-base percentage of .314, but he did club 27 homers and drive in 72 runs, which still gave him some value at the plate.

Even if Chapman's production doesn't return to 2019 levels, Toronto is set to receive a huge upgrade at the hot corner compared to last season.

In 2021, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio and Joe Panik all saw extensive action at third base for the Jays.

Espinal and Panik are light-hitting guys better suited for utility roles, while Biggio can play second base and the outfield.

The Blue Jays missed the playoffs last season with a 91-71 record despite having one of the most stacked lineups in baseball, and it was mostly a case of playing in an American League East that had four teams with at least 90 wins.

Toronto is looking to run it back this season with an equally good lineup anchored by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez and Chapman.

As for the A's, a return to the playoffs in 2022 after missing out with an 86-76 record in 2021 seems unlikely.

Bassitt, Olson and Chapman were three of Oakland's best players, and barring additional trades, the Athletics will have to rely heavily on the few core players who remain.

Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are still present to anchor the starting rotation, but the lineup is a shell of its former self, and it is clear Oakland is playing the waiting game for its prospects to reach the big leagues.