Reuniting with ex-manager 'seemed like destiny' for new Giants 3rd baseman Matt Chapman

The more Matt Chapman looked around, the more the four-time Gold Glove third baseman realized he wanted to go back to the Bay Area.

"It just seemed like it was destiny," Chapman said from the San Francisco Giants' spring training facility in Scottsdale, Ariz. "I think we've got some unfinished business."

Chapman, a California native, was introduced as a member of the Giants on Monday at the team's spring training facility, one day after finalizing a deal that guarantees $54 million US over three seasons.

The third baseman reunites with a former manager, Bob Melvin. Chapman played under Melvin for five seasons from 2017 to 2021 when the two were just across the bay with the Oakland Athletics before the notoriously thrifty franchise traded the third baseman to the Blue Jays before the 2022 season.

"I felt like we had something really special building with the A's — unfortunately that got kind of ripped out of our hands," Chapman said. "Getting to come back, be in an organization like the Giants, a team that's not afraid to spend, go get free agents, keep guys together and keep adding. All the things you expect a winning franchise to do."

The Giants have been willing to spend this off-season as they chase the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. The Dodgers are coming off a 100-win season — and spent more than $1 billion to sign Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto — while the D-backs made a surprise run to the World Series last season.

Chapman became the fourth free agent addition for the Giants after outfielder Jorge Soler reached a three-year, $43-million, reliever Jordan Hicks signed for four years and $44 million, and catcher Tom Murphy struck a two-year agreement