In the end, despite all the grumbling and fussing about the slow offseason, George Springer will get his money. All it took was the biggest contract in Toronto Blue Jays history, a six-year, $150 million deal, according to Jeff Passan, just the second $100 million contract the franchise has handed out.
The Blue Jays have been trying to spend money all offseason, but it’s often difficult to lure free agents to Toronto. Kiley McDaniel’s free-agent rankings predicted a four-year, $108 million contract for Springer, so he essentially matched that in annual value, just with a couple of more years added on. For the money, the Blue Jays are getting one of the best center fielders in baseball, albeit with some risk involved, as the contract takes Springer from his age-31 to age-36 seasons.
First, Springer brings power — 39 home runs in just 122 games in 2019 and 14 HRs in 51 games in 2020 — and positive defensive metrics.