DUNEDIN, Fla. — His spot at the top of the batting order no longer secure and his statistics trending downward, George Springer has plenty to prove as he enters the penultimate season of his six-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Manager John Schneider plans to give the veteran right fielder some reps in left field this season and says the leadoff spot will likely be “a fluid situation.”
“He’s open to anything and everything, which is awesome,” Schneider said. “So it’s just trying to use him appropriately.”
Springer, 35, posted strong numbers in his first year with Toronto — an injury-riddled 2021 season — but his statistics have been on a steady decline since.
He hit .267 with 25 homers and 76 RBI over 133 games in 2022. A year later, he played in 154 games and hit .258 with 21 homers and 72 RBIs.
The four-time All-Star endured a terrible first half last season. He was able to pull his numbers up but still hit just .220 over 145 games with 19 homers and 56 RBIs.
“Obviously I did not do what I had hoped to do last year,” Springer said. “I understand that, I accept that, I acknowledge that. I think a lot of it is just understanding what went wrong, how it went wrong and understanding how to get yourself out of it slowly but surely.”
Springer chose not to reveal specifics of any adjustments he has made as camp returned to normal Wednesday on the heels of the failed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. contract extension talks. The 25-year-old slugger plans to become a free agent after this season.
“I just kind of watched it from afar,” Springer said. “I know who he is, I know what kind of player he is, but the most important thing is he’s a great human.
“He’s here to win and obviously a guy like that on your team — for however long — is great.”
After spending his first seven seasons with the Houston Astros, Springer, the 2017 World Series MVP, signed a team-record $150 million deal with the Blue Jays in early 2021.
His arrival signaled the franchise was aiming for big things after a wild-card round appearance in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Springer helped Toronto return to the playoffs in two of the next three years, but the team didn’t make the Divisional Series.
With a veteran-heavy starting rotation and homegrown players Guerrero and Bo Bichette entering contract years, the pressure is on the Blue Jays to take advantage of an open competitive window that could slam shut if there’s a weak first half.
“I’m very confident in the group that we have and the mentality,” Springer said. “It isn’t about tomorrow. It’s about now and I think guys understand that.”
Springer’s engaging personality and jovial style help keep things light and energetic around the player development complex.
“He’s a veteran guy who has been through a lot,” Schneider said. “He knows when to push the envelope and knows when to back off. He knows when to have a little bit of urgency and knows when to not panic.”
Schneider expects he’ll “mix and match” in the leadoff spot this season depending on the opposition and pitching matchups. That list, at least as of Wednesday, included Springer, Bichette, Will Wagner and Andres Gimenez.
“There’s a handful of guys who can do it and we’re just going to try to maximize [it] each night,” Schneider said.
While his defensive play has been steady, Springer’s on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS have dropped every year since his Toronto debut.
He had an OBP of .352 in 2021 but it was just .303 last season. His slugging percentage (.555 to .371) and OPS numbers (.907 to .674) have dropped more sharply over the same span.
“I’m not trying to chase results,” Springer said. “I’m just doing whatever I can to help us win that day. Whether it’s in the box, in the field, in the clubhouse. I also understand that results matter.
“So it’s just being the best version of myself and we’ll see what happens.”