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Blue Jays: What high impact player could they add?

By Reuben Gasee

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 02: General manager Ross Atkins of the Toronto Blue Jays addresses the media after completing a trade earlier in the day that sent Kevin Pillar #11 to the San Francisco Giants during MLB game action against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre on April 2, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 02: General manager Ross Atkins of the Toronto Blue Jays addresses the media after completing a trade earlier in the day that sent Kevin Pillar #11 to the San Francisco Giants during MLB game action against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre on April 2, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 29: George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros looks on during batting practice before Game One in the Wild Card Round at Target Field on September 29, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 29: George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros looks on during batting practice before Game One in the Wild Card Round at Target Field on September 29, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

George Springer

As Mookie Betts signed an extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers, George Springer is the best outfielder available on the free-agent market. This season, he slashed .265/.359/.540 with 14 HR. Last season, he was playing like an MVP before he went down with an injury. His 2019 season ended with a slash line of .292/.383/.591 with 39 HR and 96 RBIs.

With the Astros side stealing scandal aside, Springer has been to three straight all-star games and has two Silver Slugger awards with one of them coming last year.

Heading into 2020, the outfield was seen as an area of need for the Blue Jays but it may no longer be. Lourdes Gurriel Jr.is a key part of the Jays future and left field is his. Randal Grichuk showed improvements at the plate slashing .273/.312/.481, his best slash line since 2015, and got more hits than strikeouts in a season for the first time in his career. Teoscar Hernandez broke out in a huge way and for now, has entrenched himself as the future right fielder of the Blue Jays.

With the outfield not as much as a glaring need, Springer may not fit into the mold for the Jays but there’s always the possibility they sign him and trade Grichuk in order to accommodate the former Houston Astro. Deciding to go after Springer will probably come down to how much faith the front office and coaching staff have in Grichuk going forward and whether they believe his 55 game sample in 2020 was for real or a hot streak.

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