Outfielder George Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a $ 150 million six-year deal, sources have confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Springer goes to Blue Jays’ jump training facility in Dunedin, Florida for physical training. If all goes to plan, Toronto will get the star it has been looking for all winter.
Springer, the spark plug for the Houston Astros’ first-place attack for the past four seasons, was one of the most coveted free agents on the market this off-season. He hit 14 homeruns for the team this season and added four more in the postseason, as the Astros lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series.
While several of his teammates struggled offensively last season amid the fallout from the 2017 signal-stealing scandal, Springer, who made $ 21 million on a one-year deal after avoiding arbitration, has put in better numbers – with a hit of .265 with 32 RBI’s in 51 games in 2020, while lowering his strikeout percentage to 17.1%, a career best.
He passed on an $ 18.9 million one-year qualifying offer from the Astros, who will receive a concept pick for compensation if he signs with a new team.
Prior to the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Springer hit 20 home runs in five of the previous six seasons. He earned three consecutive All-Star nods from 2017-19, and he was named 2017 World Series MVP in 2017, when the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
Springer was at his best during the big moments, hitting 19 homeruns in the postseason, which is all-time for the fourth time. He also ranks sixth in slugging percentage (.546), seventh in extra-base hits (34) and ranks 14th in runs scored (43).
Since his debut in 2014, Springer has been one of the top hitters in first place in baseball, finishing second in home runs (136), third in RBI’s (352) and fourth in hits (665) and extra base hits (254) , according to ESPN Stats & Information. He also hit a lead-off home run 39 times in the first inning during his career, which is in fourth place in American League history.
In 2019, Springer set career highs with a .292 batting average, a .591 slugging percentage, .383 on-base percentage and 6.2 WAR (wins over replacement).
Defensively, Springer remains very solid as the everyday central fielder at the age of 31 and could easily slide to one of the corners in the outfield if needed.
In total, Springer has averaged .270 in his career in seven seasons with the Astros with 174 home runs and 458 home runs.
Blue Jays Nation first reported the agreement Tuesday night, while MLB Network first had the terms.