Houston Astros: Three landing spots for George Springer
Take a look at three possible free agency landing spots for the Houston Astros outfielder.
To put it simply, George Springer will be one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason. The 31-year-old center fielder possesses talent and discipline at the plate while playing premier defense in center fielder. In fact, Springer can successfully defend any of the outfield spots for the Houston Astros.
As a result, Call to the Pen recently ranked Springer as the fifth-best free agent on the market. Springer overcame a slow start in 2020, finishing the shortened-campaign with relatively normal numbers. In 51 games and 189 at-bats, Springer hit .265, with 14 home runs and 32 RBIs. He also posted an OBP of .359 and a slugging percentage of .540.
Throughout seven seasons in the big leagues, Springer owns a career batting line of .270/.361/.491. His defense numbers are even better, especially ignoring his inconsistent rookie campaign. Taking out his rookie season, Springer puts up a .993 fielding percentage, with just nine errors and 36 assists.
Springer’s bat and defense are talented enough to boost pretender teams to contenders, and contenders to potentially title-favorites. It will be interesting to see if teams hold anything against the outfielder in wake of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Nonetheless, his talent will have teams calling.
Let’s take a look at three potential landing spots for the 31-year-old outfielder.
Staying home with the Houston Astros
Of the three teams on this list, the Houston Astros may be the team most interested in signing George Springer. Houston wants the star outfielder to stay at home.
Springer has been a crucial member of the Astros’ success over the last six years, including the World Series title run in 2017. Of course, Houston faces a predicament with all three outfielders, including Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick, hitting free agency this offseason.
Of the three, Springer is the most valuable asset to Houston’s core. And, surely, the fan-favorite of the three.
Recently, the outfielder turned down Houston’s $18.9 million qualifying offer. This doesn’t count out the Astros, as Springer made this decision with the interest of signing a long-term, high-value contract in his prime.
If Springer stays home with the Houston Astros, fans will rejoice about keeping Houston’s core together. Surely, with Springer, the Astros will stay in contention. Questions around the Astros ability to contend arise if Springer ends up departing from Houston.
New York Mets
After Steve Cohen’s highly successful introductory press conference, the narrative around the New York Mets has begun shifting. If Cohen and the Mets can land Houston Astros outfielder George Springer in free agency, then the narrative will have flipped completely.
Of course, this narrative alludes to the previous front office: the Wilpon Family. The previous ownership was often criticized for underspending and acting like a small-market team in America’s biggest city, the Big Apple. But, adding one of the top free agents in today’s market changes everything.
Cohen has not been shy about declaring his intentions to spend big in order to upgrade the Mets’ franchise. That has yet to be seen, but signing Springer is a great start.
So, what exactly does Springer do for the Mets from a pure baseball standpoint? The 31-year-old is an upgrade, by every metric, from New York’s current center fielder, Brandon Nimmo.
From a hitting standpoint, Springer would boost New York’s above-average offense close to elite levels alongside the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.
On defense, New York ranked 12th in the league by errors per game. Springer’s arm and versatility could cut this number down, and boost the Mets into the top-10. The Mets’ pitching staff was below average last year, ranking 22nd in ERA and WHIP.
Yes, the pitching still needs work, but adding George Springer turns the Mets into one of the league’s more-intimidating lineups.
Boston Red Sox
Despite a dismal 2020 season, the Boston Red Sox were at least secure in center field with Jackie Bradley Jr. However, there is a slight possibility that he and George Springer swap uniforms and clubhouses this offseason.
According to Peter Gammons of The Athletic, the Red Sox are planning a future with Bradley Jr. in center field. Yet, there’s still a possibility he moves elsewhere. If Bradley Jr. finds greener pastures elsewhere, the Red Sox will surely target the higher-profile Springer as his replacement in center field.
From an athleticism standpoint, Bradley Jr. is the better defender of the two. Yet, Springer hits for both better average and power at the plate. Springer would not be a huge downgrade defensively, except slightly for his range, and the bat is a big improvement for Boston’s lineup.
Of course, there’s also the Alex Cora factor. After a one-year suspension and temporary parting ways, Cora was rehired as the Red Sox manager earlier this month. He’s very familiar with Springer, working as the Houston Astros bench coach during the 2017 World Series run.
It’s unclear how closely Springer and Cora’s relationship sits, however, familiarity usually plays somewhat of a factor in free agency.
If Springer is comfortable with joining a franchise in rebuild mode, then Boston may be the best fit. After all, Springer grew up in the New England area. According to The Boston Herald, the New Britain, Conn., native grew up rooting for the Red Sox.
It’s interesting, though. Baseball fans growing up in Connecticut are often tasked with the incredible choice of rooting for the New York Yankees, the team sitting just south of their state, or looking up north to root on the Red Sox. In 2017, an MLB.com article revealed quite the contrary. In this article, Springer was described as a Yankees fan.
Fixing the Astros outfield problem. dark. Next
Whether George Springer’s childhood fandom plays any factor in his decision making is yet to be seen. Still worth mentioning, though.