Free Agent Hot Stove: George Springer

There are a ton of great position players on the free agent market this offseason. Astros outfielder George Springer is a great all-around player, that will attract a lot of attention by many teams this offseason. He just turned 31 years old, and he is a great veteran presence in a clubhouse, and can still produce at very high level.

The Houston Astros were at the head of embarrassment in their cheating scandal, going into the 2020 regular season. Though they made the playoffs and went to the ALCS, they finished the year below .500, and saw many of their star players suffer statistically. However, Springer actually put together a very solid year, that did not see his stats suffer compared to prior seasons. From his rookie year in 2014 through 2019, he had the cumulative average of .270, with a .361 OBP, and .849 OPS. In 2020, he played 51 games, and had a .265 average, .359 OBP, and .899 OPS. When comparing this to his career average numbers, he actually faired far better in his power numbers, and only saw a slight drop in batting average and OBP. He also had 14 home runs and 32 RBIs this year, and in a regular 162 game season, he would be on track to have a possible 40 home run, 90 RBI season. After looking at these numbers, it is clear to see that he is still producing at a high level, and would be a great asset to any team that needs an outfielder.

I believe that there are two teams that are at the head of the Springer sweepstakes: the Toronto Blue Jays, and the New York Mets. However, I think the Blue Jays are the top running team for George. In 2020, Toronto made the playoffs, and had a 32-28 record. They have a ton of young talent, with Vlad Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Though these young players are all truly talented, Gurriel Jr. is the only outfielder. They have a vacancy in centerfield, and Springer could fill this void. Teoscar Hernandez is another player that had a great year for Toronto, and Gurriel Jr., Springer, and Hernandez would be a tremendous outfield going into 2021.

The Mets are the second contender to get Springer in my opinion, but their need for George is much less than that of a Toronto. They already have a stacked outfield in a Dom Smith, Brandon Nimmo, and Michael Conforto, with JD Davis being a likely fourth outfield option. The Mets should, and probably will, put more effort into getting JT Realmuto to fill their much needed catcher void, and will look to also get Bauer, or another quality starting pitcher to add to the rotation.

I foresee Springer getting a four year deal, worth $85 million. I doubt teams will want to sign him for five years plus, as he is 31, and I don’t believe that Springer will take any less than a four year deal. With a talent and veteran presence like Springer, there is bound to be more clubs that will be in play, but I believe the Blue Jays or the Mets will be the most probable landing spots for him.