The Blue Jays Lineup Just Got Even More Terrifying As They Trade For Oakland’s Matt Chapman

If you're not paying attention to the Blue Jays and what they're doing you better start now, because they're going to be damn good this season. Jon Morosi reported earlier this morning that the club is trading for Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman. Toronto is taking advantage of the Athletics having a fire sale and snatched the gold glove winner up. Is he the best hitter in the world? Nope. Can he hit a ton of home runs and provide gold glove defense at third? Yes. They officially have the scariest lineup maybe in the AL. Chapman has never hit for average but he brings power and maybe the best infield glove in baseball. He hasn’t been what he was a few seasons back but he rounds out this Blue Jays lineup in a nice way. He did have hip surgery in 2020 so maybe he is fully healed from that and can turn back into the MVP candidate we used to see in Oakland. 

The Jays finished 20 games over .500 last season.....and still finished in fourth. They're doing their best to make sure that isn't the case again. They've been in on Freddie Freeman this week, bolstered their rotation this offseason by adding Kevin Gausman, extending Jose Berrios who they traded for last year, and signed Yusei Kikuchi to a rotation that already includes Hyun Jin Ryu and Alek Manoah. Adding Chapman to a lineup that includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Lourdes Gurriel, Randal Grichuk, George Springer, and Teoscar Hernandez is a nightmare for AL East pitchers. I'm convinced the Orioles moved their wall back strictly because of these guys. They have 7 guys who legit could hit close to 30 homers or more this season. It's going to be bombs away in Toronto. They were my bet to win the AL last week and I think it looks even better now. They're going to be so much fun to watch too. So much young talent and raw power. The fact that Chapman may hit 7th is terrifying. 

And the fact that they aren't moving any of their Opening Day guys, it's a steal for the Jays. I believe it also gives them some wiggle room if they still wanted to try and get Freeman. Factor in that they may be playing games at home vs teams who can't have their unvaccinated players in Toronto is huge for them. It's a competitive advantage no matter what way you look at it. They will have their team at full strength while teams don't. They're going to be a wagon folks, there is nothing you can do about it. The AL East is on watch now and you have to believe that the Blue Jays are the lead dog in the division.