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

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?