The Matt Chapman trade didn't go down exactly how the Athletics had planned.
News broke early in the morning on March 16 that the All-Star third baseman was traded from Oakland to the Toronto Blue Jays. So early, in fact, that it caught A's general manager David Forst off guard.
Forst joined NBC Sports California's Brodie Brazil for an exclusive interview, where he discussed the aftermath of the Chapman trade and why Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins ended up calling him to apologize.
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"Yeah, that one was strange because it kind of broke early in the morning," Forst told Brazil. "Someone in the Toronto media had it and I woke up to a call at 4:30 a.m. Arizona time from the Toronto GM apologizing, saying it leaked from their end and he knew I didn't want Matt to find out on Twitter that this had happened. So I send Matt a text at 4:30-5 in the morning saying 'Hey, call me when you get up' and an hour and a half later he's like 'I think I know what this is about.'
"Although Matt hasn't been in the big leagues a long time, he understands the game and the business. Obviously, it came out afterward that we had talked about an extension with him at one point so he had sort of been through the cycle of those conversations. And all of these guys, including [Matt Olson], [Chris Bassitt] and Sean [Manaea] too. All these guys are pros and had nothing but great things to say on their way out the door."
RELATED: Why Chapman trade to Blue Jays was 'strange' for A's GM Forst
Chapman was one of four A's stars traded this offseason, signaling a new era in Oakland. Regardless of whether he found out from Forst himself or on social media, he wasn't surprised that his time with the organization was coming to an end.
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The A's faced off against Chapman and the Blue Jays on Friday, losing 4-1 at Rogers Centre in the first of a three-game series against the familiar face.