Elite defence is what drove Jays' trade for Chapman

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DUNEDIN, Fla. — When everyone went to bed Tuesday night, the Toronto Blue Jays still had a gaping hole at third base.

That was no longer the case shortly after the sun came up Wednesday morning.

In trading for Matt Chapman, sending four prospects to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for the 28-year-old, the Jays added an elite defender that checks off perhaps the most important need box the club had.

With the lineup still potent and the rotation arguably one of the best in baseball, subpar defence was quietly one of the ways you could envision a pretty stacked ballclub losing important games this summer.

Both in 2020 and last season, especially in May and June, the Jays booted away close games with defensive blunders.

That’s not likely to happen at the hot corner now.

Chapman’s 17 Outs Above Average led all third basemen last year, and the 2014 first-round pick isn’t just a good defender, he’s a great one.

“We’re always talking about pitching and defence — our defence just got a lot better,” manager Charlie Montoyo said shortly after the deal was made official. “He’s one of the best third basemen I’ve ever seen in the big leagues and really happy to have him.”

With 78 Defensive Runs Saved over the course of his career, all the metrics align and the eye test is sure to provide a whole lot of dazzling Chapman highlights on TSN SportsCentre this summer.

Positioned deeper than just about any third baseman in baseball thanks to his cannon for an arm, Chapman’s presence will allow the Jays to shade Bo Bichette up the middle more and maximize their young shortstop’s strengths defensively.

“His range is so good and throwing from just about any place on the diamond, it really does change the way you can position