To the contrary of what was reported by some unreliable sources around Christmas, George Springer isn’t close to signing a multi-year contract with the New York Mets or any other team. Free agency has been going slower than anticipated, as teams are moving with caution after a very bad year revenue-wise.
The real scenario, according to Andy Martino of SNY (citing league sources), is the following. “The Mets and Blue Jays remain seriously interested in Springer and engaged with his representatives. As you almost certainly know.
“What you might not know yet is that the Mets and Springer are still a good distance apart on value. All parties involved with Springer are bracing for the possibility that his free agency could stretch well into next month,” Martino said.
If his sources are true, we are looking at a late-January resolution for the George Springer’s sweepstakes. “The rumored deal between Springer and the Mets that popped up in several places over the holiday was five years, $125 million. In reality, Springer is expected to sign for much more than that. Two league sources said that he was still asking for well over $150 million,” he said.
Springer’s representatives at Excel Sports Management did not respond to SNY messages seeking comment.
Will the Mets stretch to $150 million?
While the Mets certainly have the financial power to approach the $150 million threshold for a talent like Springer, there is still a rather sizable gap between the two parties, so a deal is not close at this stage.
At this point, Springer is believed to be a priority for the New York Mets, moreso than starting pitcher Trevor Bauer.
The former Houston Astros’ center fielder is a career .270/.361/.491 with a 134 wRC+ and solid defense in the outfield (69th percentile in Outs Above Average, 62nd percentile in Outfield Jump.)