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

Toronto acquired third baseman Matt Chapman from the Oakland A's for four players.

According to Jeff Passan, the A's will receive a bunch of prospects for Chapman, including pitchers, and also Kevin Smith and Kirby Snead.

According to MLB.com, Smith is the top prospect, while Logue and Snead are not in the top 30.

One of the best defensive players in baseball, Chapman has won three Gold Gloves, two Platinum Gloves and one Wilson Overall Defensive Player of the Year award.

The A's have made a number of big moves this winter in an apparent attempt to rebuild.

The New York Mets acquired a pair of pitching prospects in J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for starting pitcher Chris Bassitt.

They followed that move two days later by sending first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves for Pache, Cusick and Estes.

One of the A's most talented players and one of their glue guys are leaving due to his hard-nosed playing style.

He has spent each of his five MLB seasons in Oakland, and he has hit.243 with 112 home runs, , ,,,,,,

He played elite defense and hit.249 with a career-high 36 home runs and a career-high 101 runs. He finished sixth in the American League Most Valuable Player voting.

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

Toronto is set to receive a huge upgrade if Chapman doesn't return to his previous production levels.

Santiago Espinal, Joe Panik, and Cavan Biggio all saw time at third base in the year 2021.

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

The Blue Jays missed the playoffs last season 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 hoping to run it back this season with an equally good lineup anchored by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez and Chapman.

A return to the playoffs in 2022, after missing out with an 86-76 record in 2021, is not likely for the A's.

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

The lineup is a shell of its former self, and it is clear that Oakland is playing the waiting game for its prospects to reach the big leagues.