Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly "been in touch" with free-agent shortstop Andrelton Simmons as they seek further roster upgrades for the 2021 season after signing three-time All-Star center fielder George Springer.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the news Friday.

Simmons is already one of the best defensive players in baseball history. His 191 defensive runs saved rank second all-time behind longtime Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre (202), per FanGraphs. He's also captured four Gold Glove Awards.

The 31-year-old Curacao native was a glove-only contributor for much of his four years with the Atlanta Braves to open his MLB career. He posted a lackluster .666 OPS with just 31 home runs in 499 games before getting traded to the Los Angeles Angels in November 2015.

He became a more well-rounded player during his time with L.A., which was highlighted by an eighth-place finish in American League MVP voting in 2017 after he compiled a .752 OPS, 19 stolen bases and 14 homers in addition to his typical wizardry in the field.

Simmons was limited to 30 appearances during the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 season because of an ankle injury, however, and a National League scout questioned his decision to opt out of the remainder of the campaign before the Angels were eliminated from playoff contention.

"He quit on his team," the unnamed scout said in an article published Friday by Matt Gelb and C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. "That has to be addressed."

The Jays already have rising star Bo Bichette penciled in as their starter at shortstop, so signing Simmons would lead to some lineup reconstruction.

Most likely, Bichette would shift to third base with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a subpar defender, splitting first base and designated hitter duties with Rowdy Tellez. Teoscar Hernandez would move from DH to a timeshare at the corner outfield spots with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Randal Grichuk.

While trying to sign an elite defensive shortstop is understandable, Toronto's financial resources would probably be better used on upgrades at catcher and in the starting rotation.

The Jays already bolstered their bullpen with the additions of Kirby Yates and Tyler Chatwood.

The Toronto Blue Jays and three-time All-Star George Springer finalized a six-year, $150 million contract Saturday. 

Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reported some key points of the deal that include an eight-team no trade clause, a $10 million signing bonus, performance incentives and annual salaries ranging from $22 million in 2021 to $28 million in 2022 before settling in at $22.5 million over each of the final four years:

The Blue Jays had been linked to virtually every marquee free agent this offseason prior to signing Springer. 

Now is the time for the organization to make bold moves. The team made the playoffs last season with a 32-28 record thanks to a roster built largely around young players who have yet to hit arbitration. 

Toronto jumpstarted its rebuild last offseason by signing Hyun Jin Ryu to lead the rotation. That deal worked out well, as the southpaw posted a 2.69 ERA with 72 strikeouts over 67 innings in 12 starts. 

Springer brings his prolific bat to an offense that already features Cavan Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernandez and Rowdy Tellez. The Blue Jays finished third in the American League with 302 runs scored in 2020. 

In seven seasons with the Houston Astros, Springer hit .270/.361/.491 with 174 home runs and 458 RBI. The 31-year-old hit a career-high 39 homers in just 122 games during the 2019 season. 

Free-agent starting pitcher James Paxton is reportedly on the "radar" of the Toronto Blue Jays as they continue to seek upgrades after signing outfielder George Springer.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported Paxton is just one of the starters being considered by the Jays as they attempt to bolster their rotation before the 2021 season.

Toronto's lineup features plenty of potential after bringing in Springer, who owns a career .361 on-base percentage, to serve as the likely leadoff hitter, and the bullpen was upgraded with the previous signings of Kirby Yates and Tyler Chatwood.

The rotation could still use some work, though.

Hyun Jin Ryu is capable of leading the staff, while Robbie Ray and Nate Pearson are strong bounce-back candidates thanks to their high strikeout rates. Beyond that, the Jays could use some depth to compete for the last two spots with Tanner Roark, Ross Stripling, Trent Thornton and Sean Reid-Foley.

Paxton, 32, falls into the same category as Ray and Pearson. He posted an unsightly 6.64 ERA across five starts during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season after not making his debut until late July while recovering from spinal surgery.

His underlying numbers remained strong, however, with 26 strikeouts and just seven walks in 20.1 innings. His xFIP, an ERA estimator, was still the highest of his career at 4.47, per FanGraphs, but it was over two runs less than his ERA, and the small sample size must also be taken into account.

His career statistics—3.58 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 829 strikeouts in 753.1 innings—paint him as a strong mid-rotation starter.

Toronto has quietly built a roster that could contend for the American League pennant, though the AL East rival New York Yankees should still be considered the favorite for the time being.

Adding Paxton, who spent the past two years with the Yanks, or another similar starter via trade or free agency could put the Jays firmly in contention with New York and the Tampa Bay Rays in the division race.

The Toronto Blue Jays took one coveted free agent off the market when they signed George Springer, but they reportedly could keep adding a star to their roster.

According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Blue Jays aren't completely out of the hunt to sign Trevor Bauer. The right-hander was crowned the National League Cy Young Award winner following the pandemic-shortened season in which he posted a 1.73 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP with 100 strikeouts through 73 innings.

The Blue Jays made a major free-agent purchase on Tuesday, signing Springer to a six-year, $150 million deal—the largest contract in Blue Jays history. 

Bauer, who spent the bulk of his nine-year career in Cleveland before parts of two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, shed some light on what he's looking for in his free-agent fit in a video he released last week. Among the factors the California native are the opportunities to form a "partnership" and have "open discussion" with his new team, and he expects to be "fairly compensated for the value" he provides. 

"I want to be happy," the 30-year-old said in the video. "I've spent a lot of time in my life being unhappy as a person, as a baseball player, as a teammate." 

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the teams most recently rumored to be interested in Bauer, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. 

In Toronto, Bauer would slot into a rotation that includes Hyun-Jin Ryu—and little else behind him. Coupled with the offensive power of Springer, signing Bauer could push the Blue Jays ahead of the rest of the AL East and make them a real postseason threat. Toronto finished third in the division last season and earned a playoff berth with their 32-28 record. 

Outfielder Michael Brantley didn't wind up with the Toronto Blue Jays after all. 

Hazel Mae of Sportsnet first reported Wednesday that the 33-year-old had agreed to a three-year deal with the Blue Jays. However, ESPN's Jeff Passan later noted there was no agreement in place, and the "Blue Jays are among the teams still in on Brantley, and a deal may eventually get done, but it is not finished."

Brantley then proceeded to sign a two-year, $32 million contract with the Houston Astros, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. 

Brantley played the first 10 seasons of his career in Cleveland, where he earned three All-Star nods and a Silver Slugger Award. He joined the Houston Astros on a two-year deal ahead of the 2019 season, earning his fourth All-Star selection that year.

He appeared in 26 games as the designated hitter in 2020, a career high, and hit .300/.364/.476 with 24 runs, five home runs and 22 RBI in addition to an American League-leading 15 doubles.

The Astros did not extend Brantley a qualifying offer, but The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported in November that the team was "trying to work out a deal" with him.

In Houston, Brantley filled the hole at designated hitter left by Yordan Alvarez, who missed most of the 2020 season. He was the odd man out in a cluttered outfield that included George Springer, Kyle Tucker and Josh Reddick.

Brantley and Springer could have been reunited in Toronto if the team had lured him away from Houston.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Tuesday the Blue Jays agreed to a six-year, $150 million deal with Springer. Heyman added that Springer was doing his best to sell Brantley and Toronto "on working out a deal." 

Rosenthal reported the Blue Jays had "been in recent contact" with Brantley on Nov. 23.

Brantley has an existing relationship with Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins. Atkins served as Cleveland's vice president of player personnel before heading to Toronto, where he reunited with longtime Cleveland executive Mark Shapiro, who joined the Blue Jays as their president and CEO in 2015.

However, it appears Springer's reported encouragement and Brantley's relationship with Atkins weren't enough to lure him away from Houston.

The Toronto Blue Jays provided a major boost to their lineup Tuesday night by signing outfielder George Springer, one of the top free agents on the market, to a six-year, $150 million contract.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported details of the agreement and noted the deal, which is the largest in Blue Jays history, will become official once Springer completes a physical.

Here's a look at a potential batting order for Toronto to open the 2021 MLB season:

• 1. George Springer (CF)
• 2. Cavan Biggio (2B)
• 3. Bo Bichette (SS)
• 4. Teoscar Hernandez (DH)
• 5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3B)
• 6. Rowdy Tellez (1B)
• 7. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (LF)
• 8. Randal Grichuk (RF)
• 9. Danny Jansen (C)

The Jays have quietly built one of the league's deepest lineups, which features immense power throughout, after ranking eighth in home runs in 2020. An upgrade at catcher could still happen, but the front office may instead use those resources to bolster the starting rotation.

Springer, 31, had played all seven of his MLB seasons with the Houston Astros. He's a three-time All-Star who won the 2017 World Series and 2019 American League pennant with Houston.

The two-time Silver Slugger has 174 home runs, 458 RBI and an .852 OPS lifetime. He had a career-high 39 homers, 96 RBI and .974 OPS in 2019.

The 2017 World Series MVP saved his best work for the Fall Classic during the Astros' championship season, hitting .379 and posting a 1.471 OPS with five home runs, seven RBI, 11 hits and eight runs.

He notably led the Astros to a 5-1 win in Game 7 after going 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and leadoff double, which eventually led to his scoring a first-inning run.

The 2020 regular season was not as kind to the Astros, who stumbled to a 29-31 record that was good enough to sneak into the expanded playoff field.

Springer still excelled, however, hitting 14 home runs with 32 RBI, and posting a .265 batting average and .899 OPS. He added four home runs and 10 RBI during the Astros' playoff run, which fell one win short of a World Series berth after they lost four games to three in the AL Championship Series to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Houston's loss is Toronto's gain, and the Astros must find a replacement for a franchise cornerstone.

Springer joins a young Blue Jays team with rising stars such as Guerrero Jr., Bichette and Biggio, whose fathers all starred in the big leagues.

Springer could be a veteran presence for a Jays team looking to evolve after making the playoffs last year only to bow out after a two-game sweep at the hands of the Rays in the AL Wild Card Series.

The entire starting lineup last year was in its 20s outside Travis Shaw, and another clubhouse leader could help a Jays team that must leapfrog a pair of AL East titans in the Rays and New York Yankees.

Springer should immediately play center field, and he'll be flanked by left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and right fielder Randal Grichuk.

The Toronto Blue Jays may not be done shopping.

After Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported Toronto agreed to sign outfielder George Springer to a six-year, $150 million contract, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the American League East team is still attempting to sign free-agent outfielder Michael Brantley.

Rosenthal noted Springer and Brantley are friends who are both represented by Excel Sports Management.

Heyman provided more details:

Brantley played for Cleveland from 2009 through 2018 before suiting up alongside Springer for the Houston Astros in 2019 and 2020.

He is a four-time All-Star who won a Silver Slugger in 2014 on Cleveland when he slashed .327/.385/.506 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI. He was an offensive force even during the shortened 2020 campaign with a .300/.364/.476 slash line to go with five home runs and 22 RBI.

While Brantley turns 34 years old in May, he has shown no signs of slowing down with a batting average in the .300s in each of the last three seasons.

He could also be a veteran leader with 38 playoff games on his resume for a Blue Jays team looking to turn the corner as a contender.

The Blue Jays made the postseason last year for the first time since 2016 but lost in the wild-card round. They are also in a daunting division alongside the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays and will be hard-pressed to keep up without plenty of offensive firepower.

They will have that in spades with Springer joining Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, among others, and Brantley would provide another impressive bat to the group.

The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly agreed with free-agent outfielder George Springer on a six-year, $150 million deal, per Jon Heyman of WFAN Sports Radio and MLB Network.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported earlier Tuesday that Springer and the Jays were in agreement as well.

Brendon Kuhn of Blue Jays Nation was first to report that a deal between Springer and the Jays was done pending a physical, and Joey Vendetta of Sportsne confirmed that news.

The multiple Jays connections come amid rumors linking Springer and the Mets, who Heyman previously reported were "still in" the race for the outfielder's services.

New York has apparently lost the race for the 31-year-old Springer, who has played all seven of his MLB seasons with the Astros, winning the 2017 World Series and the 2019 American League pennant with the team. The three-time All-Star had 14 home runs, 32 RBI and a .265 batting average (.899 OPS) last year.

He's an excellent addition to a 32-28 team that made the playoffs this season for the first time since 2016. The young Jays feature some potential 25-and-under superstars in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio.

The farm system also has one of baseball's top right-handed pitching prospects in Nate Pearson, who is ranked No. 6 overall on MLB Pipeline's prospect list.

The future is bright in Toronto, and adding Springer will only make it better.

Veteran closer Kirby Yates reportedly agreed to a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Rosenthal added the contract is expected to be for one-year and worth $5-5.5 million.

The 33-year-old enjoyed a career year in 2019, earning his first trip to the All-Star Game. He finished with an MLB-best 41 saves, 101 strikeouts and a 1.30 FIP over 60.2 innings. His 3.4 WAR were second among all relief pitchers.

In 2018, the San Diego Padres cashed in on Brad Hand's trade value and shipped him to the Cleveland Indians, receiving highly touted catching prospect Francisco Mejia.

San Diego didn't take the same approach with Yates, which was likely due to the fact the franchise wanted to contend.

First came Eric Hosmer, and then Manny Machado arrived on a franchise-record 10-year, $300 million contract. Promoting Fernando Tatis Jr. and Chris Paddack ahead of 2019 Opening Day—rather than manipulating their service time—showed the front office wasn't content to be a doormat anymore.

In retrospect, the team might have been wise to cash out on Yates' value when it had the chance.

The right-hander allowed six earned runs over 4.1 innings to open 2020. An elbow injury forced him onto the injured list and eventually required season-ending surgery.

A decline can come rapidly for relievers, even those who fit into the elite category. Craig Kimbrel was an All-Star in 2018 but has looked a shadow of his old self since joining the Chicago Cubs.

Unlike Kimbrel, Yates doesn't rely on overpowering stuff to stymie opposing hitters. His fastball has averaged between 93 and 94 mph throughout his career, per Brooks Baseball, which no longer qualifies as top-end velocity.

Perhaps that will allow Yates to age more gracefully, but it's also worth remembering he turns 34 in March. The Hawaii native didn't make his debut until he was 27, and his breakout with the Padres didn't arrive until he was into his 30s.

When it comes to projecting how Yates will perform post-elbow surgery, there isn't a long track record for fans to utilize.

In general, closers may not be a prized commodity anymore. The Tampa Bay Rays reached the World Series with a bullpen made up of relievers largely anonymous to casual followers. Cleveland declined Hand's 2021 option when nobody else wanted to pick up his $10 million salary.

Perhaps Toronto pulled off a shrewd piece of business, buying low on Yates before he returns to his All-Star form of 2019. Equally plausible is a scenario in which he ultimately doesn't do enough to improve the team's bullpen, making the signing a wash.

Stats are courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly zeroing in on free-agent center fielder George Springer.

According to Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the American League East team is "making a push" to sign Springer. The report called the 31-year-old Toronto's "top free-agent target" as it looks to improve after reaching the playoffs in 2020 for the first time since 2016.

The report suggested the Blue Jays could improve on the five-year deal worth more than $100 million that they offered the former Houston Astros star, per Jim Duquette of SNY.

Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com wrote the Jays and New York Mets have shown the most interest in Springer and that he would like to play close to his native Connecticut.

While that suggests the Mets have an advantage, they could have financial hesitation after they already added shortstop Francisco Lindor, pitcher Carlos Carrasco and catcher James McCann this offseason.

It is no surprise Toronto is interested in Springer. He is a two-time Silver Slugger and three-time All-Star who is also a proven postseason contributor, as evidenced by his 2017 World Series MVP.

He is the type of player who can anchor a lineup, and throwing him into the mix with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Co. would create a nightmare for opposing pitching staffs even in a strong division that also features the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.

If the Blue Jays don't win the Springer sweepstakes, Nicholson-Smith and Davidi pointed to center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. as another option.