How are potential Matt Chapman replacements performing so far this year?

Toronto Blue Jays v Oakland Athletics - Matt Chapman
Toronto Blue Jays v Oakland Athletics - Matt Chapman / Michael Urakami/GettyImages
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Gio Urshela

Gio Urshela has been often attributed to one of the ones that the Jays let “get away”, as after his short tenure with the Jays in 2018, he would go on to have strong productive seasons with the New York Yankees, hitting close to .300, with 41 home runs, 153 RBI and an OPS+ close to 120 in 291 games over three years. In addition, he might not be Chapman-level elite, but he could provide steady defence with 4 DRS last year to go along with only six errors in 343 chances with the Minnesota Twins. However, in 2023, he has underperformed a bit to start the season, as he has only one home run, 13 RBI, 16 runs scored in 122 at-bats. His batting average is still decent sitting at .298, but his OPS+ is his lowest in five years at 83. Wouldn’t it be something to “get back” what once got away from the Jays and see what he could do, as long as he could regain the type of production he consistently provided prior to this year.

Brian Anderson

Brian Anderson may not be a household name to many, but he is a former third round pick by the Miami Marlins back in the 2014 MLB Draft. He had provided steady production for the Marlins since 2018, but endured a couple of down years in 2021 and 2022 in large part due to injuries. As a result, after being non-tendered by the Marlins, he was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers this past offseason to a one-year contract with incentives. So far in 2023, Anderson has shown signs of returning to his form seen in his earlier years with the Marlins. He has five home runs and 21 RBI with 19 runs scored, while hitting .246 with an OPS of .740 and OPS+ of 103 in 37 games. He is versatile as well, and had seen time at both third base and the outfield. He has yet to commit an error at third base this season in 25 games with 2 DRS. He might not be as flashy as Chapman, but he can provide solid overall offensive and defensive numbers.

Joey Wendle

Joey Wendle is a name Jays’ fans may be familiar with back in the days when he was part of the Tampa Bay Rays. He has been part of the Marlins since 2022 after being traded by the Rays to the Marlins during the 2021 offseason. In 2023, Wendle had been on the IL with a right intercostal strain for much of April and was just recently activated. Due to his limited playing time, he only has three hits and two RBI in 24 at-bats for the season for a .125 average. But based on his track record from previous years, he could hit for a solid average (lifetime .270), and during his strong seasons with the Rays, he maintained an OPS over .740 and OPS+ over 106. He also possesses some speed as well, and can average double-digit stolen bases per season. However, his defence at third base can leave a lot to be desired as he only has a DRS of 2 and has committed 22 errors in just 524 chances over his career.