San Francisco Giants Star Matt Chapman Open To Temporary Shortstop Move

San Francisco Giants superstar third baseman Matt Chapman would be open to a temporary move to shortstop if the team signs the injured Ha-Seong Kim.

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The San Francisco Giants have long been seen as a great fit for San Diego Padres free agent Gold Glove shortstop Ha-Seong Kim in free agency in order to fill the need at the position this winter.

In his first offseason as president of baseball operations, Buster Posey has openly stated the team's desire to add a shortstop, and unless San Francisco wants to pony up the near $200 million it would take to land Milwaukee Brewers star Willy Adames, Kim could prove to the best option.

The issue with the four-year MLB veteran from Korea is that he missed from the middle of August through the Padres' postseason run after suffering a shoulder injury while diving back to first base.

Kim underwent season-ending shoulder surgery that according to reports could keep him out for as long as the first half of the 2025 season, potentially leaving the Giants without a shortstop at the start of the year if they are intent on moving Tyler Fitzgerald over to second.

Granted, the team could keep the left side of the infield the same for the first half of 2025 as it was for most of 2024 with superstar Matt Chapman at third and Fitzgerald at short, but according to a report this week from The Athletic, Chapman has told the team he is open to a temporary move to shortstop in order to help fill the gap until Kim is healthy.

Chapman is a five-time Gold Glove winner and arguably the best defensive third baseman in all of baseball. He has not played an MLB game at shortstop since 2021 and has played just four games and ten innings in his eight-year career at short. But he does have experience playing the position at the college level and while it's a big defensive jump, chances are he would be a fine plug-in at short for a couple of months until Kim is healthy.

If San Francisco did sign Kim, whenever he gets healthy and takes the left side of the infield next to Chapman, that immediately becomes the best defensive left side in the league. Obviously, the Giants would love the defensive runs saved that a combination of Chapman and Kim could bring.

Chapman agreed to a six-year, $151 million extension with San Francisco after the team signed him to a short-term deal last offseason. The fact that he's willing to make a serious shift from the only position he's ever known professionally in order to help the team even just temporarily speaks volumes about the type of player he is.