Houston Astros: Insider believes Blue Jays sign George Springer

The Houston Astros are likely to lose star outfielder George Springer in free agency and one insider believes he will sign with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The talk of the Houston Astros’ offseason surrounds the status of George Springer. It is highly likely he plays elsewhere going forward and we’ve recently run through what teams may pursue the free-agent outfielder.

MLB.com wrote an article asking their experts where they believe Springer signs this winter, and national baseball insider Mark Feinsand picked the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays’ interest in Springer is strong, as I first reported for FanSided. They’re desperately seeking to upgrade the roster and appear willing to spend top dollar to bring high-end talent to Toronto. Their needs (center fielder, up the middle defense and speed –  align perfectly with Springer and they’re said by team officials to “love” his makeup.

The price to sign Springer will not be cheap, and MLB Trade Rumors projects him to sign a five-year, $125 million deal. It is unclear if the Blue Jays have the money to sign a player for $25 million and that will ultimately be the biggest obstacle that would prevent Toronto from signing Springer. But the idea of putting him in the same lineup as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a talented young roster will be intriguing to Mark Shapiro, Ross Atkins and the entire front office as they look to become regular contenders in the American League.

The other two teams Feinsand listed, the Phillies and Mets, also make sense for Springer. He would be a strong addition should Philadelphia ultimately lose J.T. Realmuto, though it is hard to see them spending big money on a player other than Realmuto.

The Mets, meanwhile, feel like the biggest threat to sign Springer away from Houston. Their ownership intends to spend. They have a glaring need in center fielder. And they present a strong pitching staff and adding a defender of the caliber of Springer behind them will be enticing to the front office.

The Astros, unsurprisingly, have a lot of competition for Springer and there are other teams that are interested in signing the 31-year-old. His days in Houston are likely over and the team’s apparent aggressiveness searching for outfielders in free agent reflects that.