Free-agent outfielder George Springer and the Blue Jays have a deal, pending a physical, Jeff Passan of ESPN tweets. Brendon Kuhn of Blue Jays Nation first reported the two sides had a contract in place.
It’s a six-year, $150 million pact, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
This is a monumental addition for the Blue Jays, who have been in on virtually every big name this offseason as they seek to improve their roster off a playoff campaign in 2020. The Jays had largely come up short until Tuesday, but that’s going to change with the addition of Springer.
It would be difficult to do much better than Springer, a three-time All-Star who thrived as a member of the Astros from 2014-20. Springer had 3,567 plate appearances as an Astro and batted .270/.361/.491 (134 wRC+) with 174 home runs. He helped Houston to a pair of pennants and a World Series championship in the process.
As a result of his success in Houston, MLBTR predicted when the offseason began that Springer would ink a five-year, $125 million contract in free agency. The Blue Jays and Mets seemingly showed more interest in the 31-year-old than anyone else this winter, but he will head north to join a burgeoning Toronto team that will have to overcome the Rays and Yankees in the American League East.
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