Springer declined to discuss the interest of the Mets or any other team. But over the course of seven years playing in Houston, plus three in the minor leagues, Springer has shown that he is more than capable of thriving a considerable distance from his home state.
“It’s just a short plane flight, if I really want to,” he said of going to Connecticut. “And we play at AL East, and this is very close to home. But at the end of the day, I wanted to go where I believed I would be happy, and I believe I am. “
Last year, the Blue Jays played their games at home in Buffalo, after Canada restricted travel across the border because of the coronavirus pandemic. The same is likely to happen in 2021, at least at the beginning of the season, and it is not yet clear where the Blue Jays will play at home. Springer dismissed this as a concern, along with other issues that prompted elite free agents to sign elsewhere.
“You hear a lot about travel and all that stuff,” he said. “But the reality is that it honestly didn’t bother me at all.”
At Springer, the Blue Jays are getting one of the most complete outfielders in the game, at a time when the club wants to challenge the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays in their division. In his seven years in Houston, Springer never led the league in any major offensive categories, at least not until the postseason, when he shone.
He was voted the most valuable player in the 2017 World Series, in which he beat 0.379 strikes with five home runs and three doubles to win the first Astros title. In 63 postseason games in all, Springer made 19 home runs, drawing with Albert Pujols in fourth place on his career post-season homer list. His ability to produce when the stakes are high is something that Blue Jays consider more than chance. While recent player reviews have tended to focus more on their production over a full regular season of 162 games, the Blue Jays noted that they placed great value on Springer’s strong track record in October.
“Players who are prepared and embrace the competition, and have an elite desire to win, will step back in preparation and be up to the occasion,” said Atkins. “George did that and was exceptionally attractive to us.”