Ranking the 5 worst contracts in the AL East: Where do the Blue Jays land?

4. George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays – 6 years, $150 million, $25 million AAV (2026)

After coming off a 2020 year in which the Blue Jays became contenders once again for the first time since 2016, they were looking to build upon that success during the 2020-21 offseason. Therefore, they made a big splash in free agency by signing star outfielder George Springer to a huge six-year deal. With Springer, the Jays now had their ideal power leadoff man to help complement their up-and-coming stars Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in doing so, many expected that it would help open the Jays’ contention window for a longer period of time.

Initially, Springer had trouble staying healthy during his first season with the club in 2021. But when he did play, he delivered exactly what was expected of him with 59 runs scored, 22 home runs and 50 RBI in just 78 games played,. More importantly, he would often come through with big hits in the clutch. Springer followed that up with another All-Star season in 2022, but since then, things had been heading downhill ever since.

Perhaps it was Father Time finally catching up to him, or the fact that he never fully recovered from the concussion and shoulder sprain that he sustained in the infamous collision with Bichette during Game 2 of the 2022 AL Wild Card Series. Nevertheless, Springer has seen his numbers steadily decline during the past two seasons, going from just a .258/.327/.405/.732 with 87 runs scored, 21 home runs and 72 RBI in 2023, down to a dismal .220/.303/..371/.674 with 74 runs scored, 19 home runs and 56 RBI in 2024.

Many had a feeling that Springer’s contract wouldn’t age well when he first signed with the Jays. But most predicted that his decline would occur perhaps during his last year or final two years with the team. The fact that we have witnessed his regression occurring way earlier than expected has become a worrisome issue. It certainly didn’t help when the Jays also took a step back during the 2024 season after missing the playoffs for the first time in three years. So how much Springer can still contribute, whether in the leadoff spot or not, in the next couple of seasons has now casted some serious doubt.