Back before the Oakland A’s had seemingly made the decision to tear their current roster apart, there was talk about extending several of their players. Matt Chapman was one of those players discussed, however, with Scott Boras as his agent and the A’s general refusal to spend money, such an idea seemed far-fetched.
Boras himself threw an ocean’s worth of cold water on the idea, saying that he was not willing to discuss an extension until the A’s stadium situation was figured out. Considering there had not been much movement with the Howard Terminal Project, and the A’s were overtly flirting with Las Vegas, that essentially meant that nothing was going to happen on the extension front.
Stadium news could change Oakland A’s plans
That has changed. With the Environmental Impact Report giving the green light to the Howard Terminal Project, the A’s are pushing for a binding vote on their new stadium and the associated infrastructure. That vote could come as soon as February.
Meanwhile, the game is in a lockout since the Collective Bargaining Agreement expired. Transactions have been placed on hold, pushing back the A’s potential rebuild. As the league and the Player’s Union are not going to discuss core financial matters until January, the A’s may know if they are actually rooted in Oakland or not.
That could change the complexion of the A’s offseason. While they are still likely to trade some of their core pieces, the rebuild may not be as drastic. Instead, the A’s may feel that they would have the financial resources to keep some of that core together and even extend a player or two.
Chapman could be an option if that is the case. He would be risky – his bat has not really come back around since tearing the labrum in his hip. However, he is still hitting for power, drawing walks, and playing Gold Glove defense. It may be time to revisit that extension if the Howard Terminal Project passes a binding vote.
The Oakland A’s had planned on tearing their roster apart. With the Howard Terminal Project on the verge of becoming reality, that could change.