Oakland Athletics replacing injured Matt Chapman with Jake Lamb
The Oakland Athletics are reportedly bringing in Jake Lamb to fill the void at third base.
With just two weeks to go in the 2020 regular season, the Oakland Athletics continue to sit near the top of the American League. Unfortunately, if the A’s want to make a World Series run this season, they are going to have to do so without one of the best players in baseball in Matt Chapman.
The two-time Platinum Glove winner will miss the rest of the season to recover from hip surgery, leaving a massive hole in Oakland’s lineup.
Without a reliable option to slot in at third base, the Oakland A’s plan on officially signing Jake Lamb on Monday, after he clears waivers and becomes a free agent.
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Shayna Rubin of The Mercury News was the first to report the soon-to-be-official Jake Lamb signing.
I've heard from multiple sources that the A's are signing former Arizona Diamondbacks 3B Jake Lamb.
— Shayna Rubin (@ShaynaRubin) September 13, 2020
It’s been a rough go for Lamb since his 2017 All-Star season in which he hit 30 home runs and 30 doubles. He has appeared in just 56 games in 2018 and 78 games in 2019, combining for 12 home runs and just barely staying above the Mendoza-Line.
In 18 games this season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Lamb hit .116 with a .240 on-base percentage and 17 strikeouts in 43 at-bats.
While Lamb has seen more time at first base recently, he has logged over 4,200 innings in the hot corner over his seven-year big league career. With Chapman out for the year and Chad Pinder‘s hamstring issues, bringing in more third base depth is a must for Oakland ahead of this week’s deadline to be eligible for a post-season roster.
By placing Chapman on the Injured List, the A’s will clear up a roster spot for Lamb, who will become a free agent at the end of the season.
Oakland doesn’t need Jake Lamb to reproduce his 2017 numbers, only provide a reliable glove at third base and at least continue to get on base as he has done his entire career. Even as he hit .193 last season in Arizona, Lamb drew 32 walks in 78 games and produced a .323 OBP.
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While the Matt Chapman news is a major blow, the season is far from over for the Oakland A’s. Entering play on Sunday, the A’s are 6.5 games ahead of the Houston Astros in the AL West and are just percentage points behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the top overall seed. A possible World Series run is certainly still in play for Oakland Athletics.