San Francisco Giants Star Says Dodgers Signing Sasaki 'Doesn't Change Anything'

The San Francisco Giants superstar isn't letting the signing of Roki Sasaki by the Los Angeles Dodgers change anything about their mindset.

Sep 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (26) plays his position against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have invested heavily into Matt Chapman being both a leader on the field and off of it, and early returns so far have been great.

In speaking with Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News about the Los Angeles Dodgers signing Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, Chapman showed exactly the mindset he and the rest of the team should have.

"Nothing's guaranteed. You have to go out there and do it. On paper, your team can look great. Obviously, they're probably the favorites, but that doesn't change anything for us," said the third baseman. "Our goals are to win the division, to make the playoffs."

The Dodgers signing the 23-year-old flamethrower certainly doesn't help the vibes entering the season for the Giants.

San Francisco and Los Angeles are at two different points when it comes to contending.

For the Dodgers, they are coming off of a World Series win and immediately made their team better. Not only did they add a 2.02 career-ERA pitcher with four seasons of experience in Japan, but they also lured former Giants ace Blake Snell this offseason.

They now have a surplus of starting pitching to go along with a fantastic lineup of batters.

As for San Francisco, they are still trying to convince the baseball world they are becoming legitimate World Series threats once again.

They appointed team legend Buster Posey as their president this offseason and will allow him to try to bring them to that next level.

Posey has made a few moves this offseason in signing Willy Adames to a massive deal and adding Justin Verlander to the rotation. They have been connected to players like Pete Alonso and starting pitchers Marcus Stroman and Luis Castillo.

The biggest move made so far, though, may have been done right before he officially took over when the team extended Chapman. There were doubts this would work out when the deal happened, but the former All-Star has clearly lived up to his calling as a leader.

For the Giants to truly go to the next level, they cannot be afraid of Los Angeles, and Chapman has started that mindset early.