3 Blue Jays veterans who should join Jose Abreu after surprising Astros release

Kevin Kiermaier

It's tough to say that Kiermaier doesn't have it anymore, but he doesn't have it anymore. He joined the Blue Jays last year via free agency and immediately became a fan favorite, showing off durability, speed on the bases, A-plus-plus defense and a surprisingly strong bat along the way.

In total, the long-time Tampa Bay Ray had 35 extra-base hits with 36 runs driven in and 58 more runs scored. He also stole 14 bases, had a .265 batting average, .741 OPS and 103 OPS+, all of which were the highest marks he had had in a single season since all the way back in 2019.

This, of course, earned him another one-year deal once he hit free agency this past offseason. There were a few teams that seemed like fits on paper, but Kiermaier had said that few came forward with any real offers, thus a return to the Blue Jays was born.

Even with Daulton Varsho on hand as an internal Kiermaier replacement, the Jays were comfortable keeping him in left field while allowing KK to take back over center field. The two form one of the top defensive duos we've seen in recent memory.

But Kiermaier's bat has completely fallen off a cliff this year. Through his first 50 games, the 12-year veteran has hit just .200 with a .565 OPS. If the season ended today, these both would be the worst marks of his entire career by a comfortable margin.

Always prone to striking out, Kiermaier has seen his K% spike from 21.1 last year to 30.8 this year. He's also drawing less walks, hitting less home runs and has seen his Hard-Hit% drop from 33.7 in 2023 to just 27.7 this year.

Again, Varsho is already on the roster as an immediate internal replacement. Nathan Lukes could be recalled to fill the void that Kiermaier leaves, as he's once again been a strong run producer down in Triple-A. Defensive prowess be damned, it just seems that Kiermaier no longer has anything left in the tank.

George Springer

This one is a bit more complicated, as Springer is not exactly on an expiring contract, but the concept is the same. Still owed around $63M until the conclusion of the 2026 campaign, Springer's seen his offensive numbers drop off in a dramatic fashion this year.

Springer, 34, has 62 games under his belt in 2024 and has easily been the worst offensive player of his 11-year career so far. He's got only five home runs and 14 RBI, along with a .197 batting average and .580 OPS. His 69 OPS+ suggests that he's a whopping 31 percent below league-average at the dish this year which is completely unacceptable from someone who's supposed to be one of the top run producers in this lineup.

Its been a difficult fall-off for Springer, who has been an above-average hitter in each of his first three seasons as a Blue Jay before the current one. He's hit over 20 home runs each year and has been able to maintain an OPS+ above 100 (league-average) on a consistent basis.

However, like Kiermaier, Springer's bat is just no longer the threat it once was. Kiermaier can at least hide behind the fact that he's never been that great of a hitter, but Springer was at one point one of the best offensive outfielders in the game.

Large contract aside, the Blue Jays would be wise to cut bait on the struggling veteran, even if they won't necessarily do so. Springer is hugely popular amongst Blue Jays fans and his teammates love him, but again, if the club is serious about staying as close to contention as possible, why keep trotting someone out there that is hitting under the dreaded Mendoza Line?

Justin Turner

Another player on an expiring contract, Turner quickly went from one of the steals of this past offseason to one of the worst signings. He started off swinging a red-hot bat, but he has since cooled off something fierce.

All told, the 16-year veteran and former World Series champion is hitting just .227 with a .659 OPS and 95 OPS+. Most of these numbers have been carried by that hot start, as he's hitting just .206 in his last 22 games and hasn't hit a single home run since all the way back on April 29, when he hit two of them against the Royals.

This type of production is difficult to see on a nightly basis, as Turner was an outstanding hitter only just last year. As a member of the 2023 Red Sox, he hit 23 home runs and drove in 96 while posting an .800 OPS and 115 OPS+. Obviously, the Blue Jays were hoping to see him replicate that this year, but outside of that strong first month or so, he's fallen short of expectations.

Since his contract is of the single year variety, the Blue Jays should be able to cut Turner without receiving too much of a financial hit. It's highly unlikely that they could find a trade partner for him, as he's the oldest position player in baseball and has been a dreadful hitter for the past few months.