Outfielder George Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed a $ 150 million contract for six years, ESPN’s Jeff Passan has confirmed.
The contract would be handed out the largest by the Blue Jays in franchise history. Their only other contract that was $ 100 million higher was a $ 126 million extension for Vernon Wells.
Springer is on his way to the Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, for a physical. If all goes according to plan, Toronto will get the star he has been looking for all winter.
Springer, who has been at the forefront of the Houston Astros offense for the past four seasons, has been one of the most popular free agents on the market this season. He made a team of 14 home games this season and added four more in the post-season when the Astros lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in the U.S. League Championship Series.
While several of his teammates have struggled offensively over the past season amid the fallout from the 2017 scandal, Springer, who earned $ 21 million on a one-year deal, has avoided arbitration, has since continued to draw better numbers . with 32 RBIs in 51 games in 2020, while lowering his pass rate to 17.1%, a best career.
He passed on a one-time offer of $ 18.9 million through the Astros, who will get a compensation concept with him at a new team.
Prior to the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Springer has scored 20 home games in five of the previous six seasons. He earned three straight All-Star nods from 2017-19, and was named the 2017 World Series MVP in 2017, when the Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
Springer was at his best during big moments and scored 19 post-season home games, which was tied for the fourth all-time. He also ranks sixth in the pass percentage (.546), seventh in hits outside the base (34) and is tied for 14th place in runs (43).
Since making his debut in 2014, Springer has been one of the best hits at the forefront in all of baseball, finishing second in his home runs (136), third in RBIs (352) and fourth in hits (665) and extra base hits (254), according to ESPN Stats & Information. He also scored a first-round first-inning game 39 times during his career, finishing fourth in U.S. league history.
In 2019, Springer reached career highs with a .292 batting average, a .591 pass percentage, .383 on-base percentage and 6.2 WAR (wins above the substitution).
Defensively, Springer is still very solid as the everyday midfielder at 31 and can easily move to one of the cornerfields. Blue Jays center-backs were responsible for -7 Defensive Runs Saved in 2020, tied with the New York Yankees for 26th in MLB. Springer was responsible for 6 DRS as a midfielder in 2020, which was the fifth best on the position.
Overall, in seven seasons with the Astros, Springer has a .270 career average with 174 home runs and 458 home runs.
Blue Jays Nation reported the deal for the first time on Tuesday night, while MLB Network first had the terms.
ESPN Statistics and information contributed to this report.