- Brian Symons
- Jan 19, 2021
Author: Oliver Lang
Editor: Brian Symons
Less than 100 days until the MLB season is scheduled to start, and many of the biggest free agents in the game are still up for grabs. George Springer is one of those few and is considered by many as a top 3 center fielder in all of baseball. At 31 years old, he is a career .270 hitter with 174 homeruns, 53 of which came from his last 2 seasons. Not only has he hit for huge power in the last two seasons, but he’s been able to get on base more than most. In 2019 he had what many would consider the best year of his career, in which he slashed a .292/.383/.591 average in Houston. In the field he isn’t too bad either. While he may not have the greatest outfield ability, he is still a plus defender who can potentially save a lot of runs.
These top performance statistics would majorly improve the two teams still very interested in George, the Blue Jays and the Mets. Toronto has a young team of potential stars, and they have just been getting better and better recently, and the Mets have made many moves to become a serious playoff contender with the new ownership of Steve Cohen, along with the moves they’ve made since his taking over. The Mets would probably have the biggest benefit from acquiring Springer as a continuation of the other moves they’ve made this offseason. Brandon Nimmo is the current center fielder for the Mets and he is a great player—in fact he is one of the top right fielders in baseball, but not the top among center fielders.For the MLB percentile ranking he is the 2 percentile for outs above average, compared to George Springer’s 69th percentile. This along with his lower batting statistics make it clear he should not be in that position.
George Springer knows he is one of the top players in baseball, even with the 2017 season, and so he wants the high money figures for his service. He wanted a deal worth $175 million, which he isn’t going to get, but he could still manage a 9 figure deal closer to $100 million from both the Blue Jays and Mets. It is estimated that Toronto has offered him a 5 year $115 million deal, and the Mets have also offered a 9 figure deal, though it is not yet known what that number is. Considering all of this, it is clear a deal will be happening soon.
Springer has said that he would like to play closer to his hometown in Connecticut, which New York is close to and Toronto most definitely is not. This, along with the money, the powerhouse-type of team the Mets have assembled with Francisco Lindor, Jacob deGrom and the rest of the Metropolitans, and the Blue Jays’ deal being just barely over $100 million all seem to point to one thing—that the New York Mets are the clear best fit for the 3 time All-Star George Springer.
SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE