Would the Blue Jays consider dealing George Springer to this AL rival?

Over the course of the offseason, the Blue Jays seemed to come up short for every big name free agent that was available. And, if that wasn't enough, it seems as if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won't be signing an extension with Toronto, which will likely bring about the end of the Blue Jays' current window of contention.

That lack of movement has led some to believing that thee Blue Jays will undergo a full rebuild in an attempt to replenish an average farm system.

While a lot of the discussion around a rebuild will likely revolve around Guerrero's trade market, there are still some other veterans on the Blue Jays' roster who could also end up on the trade block. One of those players is George Springer, who is beginning to decline, is on a big contract and is likely too old to fit into Toronto's future plans.

As such, Clutch Points' Brayden Haena hypothesized a trade that would send the veteran outfielder to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for left-handed reliever Kris Bubic and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton.

That is an interesting package for Springer, a veteran owed nearly $50 million over the next two years. Springer seems poised to have a big bounce-back season for 2025, which would help a Kansas City team that had the fourth-worst outfield last year by fWAR.

Potential trade of George Springer could help the Blue Jays in the long run

While Springer had 19 home runs last year, he also had a career-low OPS of .674 and finished with a wRC+ of 95, making the first time he finished a season with a wRC+ under 100. He's not the hitter or fielder (0 Outs Above Average in 2024) that he once was.

If this trade is on the table, the Blue Jays should pull the trigger.

Bubic finally put it all together last year in his first year in the bullpen (.267 ERA, 1.95 FIP, 1.02 WHIP) and is the type of reliever you need on a winning team. While there's always the chance Toronto would be interested in stretching him back out as a starter, he has a career 4.99 ERA as a starter compared to a 2.97 ERA as a reliever.

While Stratton isn't as big of a get (career 4.53 ERA), he could help the team in a low-to-middle leverage relief role while helping mentor some of the young arms in Toronto's 'pen.

There's never been a ton of trade chatter around Springer, but there's always a chance that his market could pick up after Guerrero made it clear that he'll likely head to free agency next winter. Getting a piece like Bubic for a Springer would be a win for the Blue Jays, even if it would likely signal a rebuild is on the way.