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As the San Francisco Giants aim to revamp their roster and return to contention, the team is exploring a range of scenarios to accommodate top free agent target . One intriguing possibility involves a temporary position move. According to , Gold Glove third baseman has indicated a willingness to temporarily shift to shortstop, allowing the Giants to fill a crucial void until Kim recovers from . Kim is expected to miss the early part of the 2025 season, possibly even the first half of the year. Matt Chapman Willing to Move to Shortstop for Ha-Seong Kim Chapman, who turns 32 in April, has limited experience at shortstop. He has 16 games of experience at the position in both college and professional levels. This includes four appearances at shortstop for the Oakland Athletics in 2020-21. However, as one of baseball's top defensive third baseman, he almost certainly could handle the position change, at least temporarily. The Giants could go with at third if Chapman moves to shortstop. They could even use , an excellent defender who batted .311 with a .991 OPS in 49 plate appearances against left-handed pitching last season. and/ or Brett Wisley could figure into the mix until Kim was healthy enough to play shortstop, enabling Chapman to return to third. Kim played the with the San Diego Padres and declined an $8 million player option for 2025, taking a $2 million buyout to hit the free-agent market. He earned $28 million from 2021-24. In four MLB seasons, Kim is hitting .242/.326/.380 with 80 doubles, 47 home runs and 200 RBI. He has a 15.3 bWAR. Chapman's willingness to play shortstop temporarily is a testament to his team-first approach, which was a key factor in the Giants signing him to a in September. Chapman's flexibility may also reflect the strong relationships being built by , the team's . Posey is earning praise from agents and rival executives for his ability to connect with players. Free Agent Pursuits and Payroll Considerations The Giants are actively pursuing top free agents to boost their pitching and defense. They're considering Kim, , and , among others. Kim's appeal lies in the fact that he didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Padres. As a result, signing him wouldn't cost the Giants a draft pick - a significant factor given their limited draft capital after exceeding the luxury-tax threshold last season. The Giants are expected to trim their payroll from $206 million last season. San Francisco's projected payroll is around $155 million, per Fangraphs. Main Photo: © Stan Szeto-Imagn Images The post appeared first on .
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