Springer ready to start new role
Ex-Astros star hopes to help put Jays over the top
George Springer was not the answer, just a powerful part of the puzzle. His arrival in April 2014 signaled the start of the Astros’ renaissance, the first tangible step in Jeff Luhnow’s rebuilding process. The club allowed Springer to assimilate into major league life while other touted prospects readied in the minor leagues.
They eventually ascended the ranks, joined Springer and formed a core that cemented its place in Houston baseball history. The team won the wildcard game in 2015 and underperformed in 2016, leading Luhnow to direct what Springer described as the final step for a club in pursuit of a championship.
“I think it takes adding a guy or two,” Springer said
Monday. “I think it takes a lot of camaraderie. I think there’s something special when a locker room clicks, when guys understand each other, when guys understand and they unite for one goal, which ultimately is to win and bring a World Series back to a country.
“When that happens, when a team can jell in a locker room and really, really learn to trust each other on and off the field, I think that’s something special.”
Now, Springer will assume the role played by so many before him. His sixyear, $150 million contract is the largest in Blue Jays history. His addition and formal introduction Wednesday announced Toronto’s intention to contend in the cutthroat American League East, a division that already contains the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees.
His departure was to a team desperate for his services. Toronto needed a center fielder and clubhouse cornerstone. The team reached out “very early” in his free agency, he said.
Houston did not act with such urgency. The Astros extended an $18.9 million qualifying offer, which Springer declined. Any competitive pursuit of their former firstround pick ended there.
“I love those guys,” Springer said of the Astros. “I love the city. I love the fans. It was a place where I pretty much got an opportunity to play, to grow as a man and grow as a player. I’m very thankful for that.”
Springer’s new situation shares many similarities to his first few Astros teams. Toronto’s lineup features young, homegrown stars. The pitching staff has an ace, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and some premier prospects in the offing.
“I think they’re right there,” Springer said. “When you play against this team like I have, you can see the talent. You could see the potential in their lineup, in their staff, in their arms. I think with some kind of guidance, whatever it is, I think guys like Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Nate Pearson, Vladdy (Vlad Guerrero Jr.), a lot of those guys will shine. I think that this team is built to win, and I think they’re going to be built to win for a long time.”
Springer is one of the men tasked with guidance.
Four years ago, surrounding Springer, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa with established veterans pushed the Astros on the precipice of greatness. Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Josh Reddick arrived that winter. Reddick signed the biggest free-agent deal in owner Jim Crane’s tenure. Justin Verlander was then acquired in an Aug. 31 deadline deal, lifting the club to a World Series title.
“This lineup reminds me a lot of them,” Springer said of the early Astros teams.
His one championship to date will forever carry a cloud of suspicion. The Astros used an electronic signstealing scheme at Minute Maid Park throughout the 2017 season and into the playoffs. Springer acknowledged participating in it last February. His World Series performance put him on a pedestal few players have reached. Springer struck five home runs and won MVP honors, outcomes that will be called into question for however long he remains an active ballplayer.
“I believe in myself,” Springer said. “I believe in my performances. I believe in the team that was there.”
What became clear, though, was the scandal’s relative irrelevance on the Blue Jays’ decision-makers. Springer was the first recognizable member of the Astros’ 2017 team to hit free agency after the findings. He still received the largest contract in Blue Jays history. General manager Ross Atkins specifically lauded Springer’s playoff pedigree.
It’s also worth remembering that Springer’s best two offensive seasons — 2019 and 2020 — came when MLB had no evidence of wrongdoing.
“I think for all of us who love sport, all recognize the power of rising to an occasion and, as some say, fall back on preparation,” Atkins said. “I can tell you that, 100 percent, we believe wholeheartedly in George’s ability to do that.”
In Springer’s final two seasons, no man meant more than Michael Brantley, who helped Springer transform into a more professional player. The Blue Jays wanted both men — teacher and mentor — to be their final answer. Springer leapt at the opportunity. Brantley was “close” but opted to return for “unfinished business” with the Astros.
“I talk to Mike as a friend probably every day,” Springer said. “It’s not my business to kind of ask him all that stuff. I was hopeful for it, but ultimately, at the end of the day, I’m happy for him.”