Blue Jays, Springer reach $150M deal
The top hitter on the free-agent market this offseason has found his new home.
Outfielder George Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a sixyear, $150 million contract, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official.
The 11th overall pick by the Houston Astros in the 2011 draft, Springer made his MLB debut in 2014. In seven seasons, he's established himself as an elite leadoff hitter, posting a career on-base percentage of .361 to go along with a .491 slugging percentage.
However, Springer has made his mark as one of the most clutch postseason hitters in the game today.
In 63 career playoff games, he's hit 19 home runs (tied for fourth in MLB history), scored 43 runs and driven in 38. He was also the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 World Series as the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
Along with every Astros hitter, Springer has faced scrutiny about how much he benefitted in the team's signstealing scandal during the 2017 and 2018 seasons that resulted in the suspensions – and firings – of manager AJ Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow.
“There's no real way to express how much regret we have, how much remorse we have,” Springer said last spring. “I'm sorry we're in this situation today. I regret the fact that we are in this situation today. I feel horrible for our sport, our game, our fans, our city, our organization, the way the our team is being viewed.”
Springer, 31, averaged 27 home runs and 71 RBI for the Astros from 2014-2019. He hit 14 homers with an .899 OPS in the shortened 2020 campaign, splitting time between center field and right field. He's expected to play center field in Toronto.
Since 2016, Springer ranks second among all outfielders in home runs (138), fourth in runs (463), fourth in in WAR (21.1) and sixth in hits (657).