Hendriks: Blue Jays land free agent George Springer
The Toronto Blue Jays have signed free-agent outfielder George Springer to a six-year, $150-million, per industry sources. Photo: Michael Wyke/AP
January 20, 2021
By Andrew Hendriks
Canadian Baseball Network
The Toronto Blue Jays and free-agent outfielder George Springer are in agreement on a deal valued at six years and $150M, per industry sources.
Springer, 31, has appeared in parts of seven seasons with the Houston Astros, earning three All-Star nods, two Silver Slugger awards, and posting an overall slash line of .270/.361/.491 with 174 home runs in 795 games.
Having accounted for an overall WAR of 26.6 since breaking into the big leagues in 2014, the Connecticut native was ranked as the third-best free agent this off-season behind J.T. Realmuto and Trevor Bauer by MLB Trade Rumors.
His arrival in Toronto presents a welcome logjam in the Blue Jays' outfield.
First off, there's the club's current centre fielder, Randal Grichuk. He inked a five-year $52M contract extension in 2019 and has hit 144 extra-base hits since joining the Blue Jays three seasons ago, leading the team in home runs twice over that span. His strikeout to walk ratio leaves some room for improvement, but the power numbers certainly play.
Then you have Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Toronto's prized international signing from 2016. At only 27 years old, the Cuban native is responsible for notching 13 outfield assists and batting .299 with 62 extra-base hits over his 128 games since returning to the club as a full-time outfielder / DH in May of 2019.
Lastly, there's Teoscar Hernandez, who enjoyed a breakout season slashing .289/.340/.579 en route to earning a Silver Slugger award and finishing 11th in American League MVP voting last year. If 2020 wasn't an anomaly, big things could be in store for the 28-year-old.
Springer, however, is a truly elite talent. One who already has 63 games of postseason experience and a World Series MVP award entering what projects to be the prime years of his career.
When presented with an opportunity to land a player of his calibre, you make that move and let the details work themselves out. After all, it’s a (hopefully) 162-game season and there’s always a DH spot available for the odd man out.
There's no doubt that Springer's addition to a Blue Jays lineup that has already emerged as a genuine AL East threat gives the club an added level of legitimacy entering the 2021 campaign.
Having demonstrated that Toronto can, in fact, be a destination for the game's top talent, will the domino effect brought forth by one of the largest free agent acquisitions in franchise history be enough to put them over the top?
Time will tell.
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