The Oakland Athletics have traded their second infield star this week.
On Monday, the Oakland dealt first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves. Now, they have traded third baseman Matt Chapman to the Blue Jays, according to multiple reports.
Chapman did not hit as well last season as he had previously — batting .210 with 27 home runs and a .716 OPS in 2021 — but he is just 28 years old and not far removed from a 2019 season in which he had an .836 OPS and 36 homers en route to a sixth-place finish in the AL MVP race.
Chapman is also an excellent fielder; he has won three Gold Gloves in the past four years.
The A’s got a haul of prospects in return — right-handed pitcher Gunnar Hoglund, shortstop Kevin Smith, left-handed pitcher Zach Logue and left-handed reliever Kirby Snead. ESPN’s Jeff Passan called Hoglund “the best of the bunch” and said the other three are big-league ready.
The trade was surprisingly first reported by former MLB All-Star Carlos Baerga — bet it’s been a minute since you thought about him! — with Blue Jays reporter Shi Davidi elaborating on the package of prospects Toronto is sending to Oakland.