MLB PLAYER NEWS

Jays land George Springer on 6-year, $150M deal

Field Level Media

January 20, 2021 at 5:31 am.

The Toronto Blue Jays landed the biggest free-agent prize of the baseball offseason, agreeing to a six-year, $150 million deal with center fielder George Springer, according to multiple media reports Tuesday night.

ESPN reported that Springer was traveling to the Blue Jays’ Dunedin, Fla., spring training complex for a physical that could seal the agreement.

The contract would be the biggest in Blue Jays history, topping a seven-year, $126 million extension that center fielder Vernon Wells received in December 2006.

According to the New York Post, the Blue Jays and the Mets were the top contenders to land Springer throughout the winter.

Springer, 31, has spent all seven of his major league seasons with the Houston Astros, making the All-Star team three times. He owns a .270 career average with a .361 on-base percentage, a .491 slugging percentage, 174 homers and 458 RBIs in 795 games.

Last year, in an abbreviated 60-game schedule, Springer hit .265/.359/.540 with 14 home runs and 32 RBIs in 51 games.

Springer was selected the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 World Series after he went 11-for-29 (.379) with five homers and seven RBIs in the Astros’ seven-game victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the luster came off the Astros’ achievement when Major League Baseball sanctioned the team for illegal sign-stealing throughout the championship season.

In 63 career postseason games, Springer has 19 home runs, tied for fourth in major league history. The only players with more playoff homers are Manny Ramirez (29), Bernie Williams (22) and Derek Jeter (20). Springer is tied with Albert Pujols, just ahead of Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson and his now former teammate Jose Altuve, each with 18.

Toronto’s primary center fielder in 2020, Randal Grichuk, hit .273/.312/.481 with 12 homers and 35 RBIs in 55 games.

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