0 out of 7

David J. Phillip / Associated press

The biggest news from the free agencies of the offseason broke on Tuesday night when the outfielder George springer agreed on a report six years, $ 150 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Jon Heyman of the MLB network.

The 31-year-old posted a 140 OPS + with 14 home runs and 32 RBIs to finish 13th in the AL MVP vote in 2020, and his 21.3 WAR over the past five seasons trail only Mike Trout (37.4), Mookie Betts (37.0) and Christian Yelich (23.3) among all the outfitters.

He has been one of the game’s renowned players, and he is an important addition to a thriving Blue Jays team.

However, the news has far-reaching implications beyond its impact in Toronto.

There is a power shift at play in LA East and LA West and a depth chart needs to be settled in Toronto. The outfield market could also be about to take off, as other teams looking to sign him turn their attention elsewhere.

With all of that in mind, we’ve identified the signing’s biggest winners and losers.

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Randal GrichukCarlos Osorio / Associated press

The Blue Jays became a better team with the addition of Springer, but the outfield wasn’t their most obvious need.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (224 PA, 138 OPS +, 11 HR, 33 RBI) and Teoscar Hernandez (207 PA, 146 OPS +, 16 HR, 34 RBI) both come out of vibrant attacking seasons from corner corners, while veteran Randal Grichuk will win another $ 31 million over the next three years.

Someone is the weird man with Springer tagged for everyday center fieldwork.

Assuming the ousted outfielder slips into the starting DH role, that could mean Rowdy Tellez serves as the starting first baseman and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gets it. his wish to come back to third base.

In this scenario, prospect Alejandro Kirk, who rose to 9 for 24 with three more hits in his debut, sees his way to game time stuck.

However, the Blue Jays could add Justin Turner to play for third base or one of the second available on the market so Cavan Biggio can slip into the hot corner. In this case, Tellez would appear to be pulling the straw short despite his significant power potential.

Somehow, someone just wasted playing time in Toronto.

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Jackie Bradley Jr.Michael Dwyer / Associated press

The outfield wage bar is set, so other players could see their markets take shape.

Longtime Boston Red Sox star Jackie Bradley Jr. is the biggest consolation prize among center fielder available. He would be Springer’s logical replacement in Houston, although a a host of other teams make sense too.

Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario and Yasiel Puig are some of the best corner fielder looking for a new home.

Michael Brantley also expects the market to move slowly and Ken rosenthal of The Athletic pointed out the potential for an “NBA-style package” involving him and Springer, who are close friends. Perhaps the Blue Jays have not finished adding to their crowded off-field mix.

Even further down the free agent hierarchy, veterans such as Kevin Pillar, Cameron Maybin and Delino DeShields could also see movement ahead of spring training to begin in February, now that one of the biggest names has signed. .

3 out of 7

Deshaun WatsonSam Craft / Associated press

Ask Houston sports fans to come up with a list of their city’s top athletes by 2020, and the trio of James Harden, Deshaun Watson and George Springer would likely have been near the top.

Harden moved to the Brooklyn Nets after asking for a trade.

Springer made it clear that he didn’t want to come back in Houston.

And the the writing is on the wall that Watson will be the next superstar to come out amid mounting frustration with the Texans’ front office.

It’s been a tough sporting year for a city, especially since the Astros, Rockets and Texans were all playoff teams in 2019. It certainly didn’t look like the city’s title fight window would close. so quickly in all three sports.

4 out of 7

Mike TroutChris Carlson / Associated press

The Astros entered AL West in 2013 as the division’s doormat, losing a franchise record of 111 games in the midst of a large-scale rebuild. They followed that up with a 92-game losing season, but quickly climbed the standings from there.

After netting a surprise wildcard spot in 2015, they won three straight division titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and even with a record under 500 last season, they slipped into the playoffs and qualified for the seventh game of the ALCS.

In a bubble, losing Springer doesn’t make them a non-competitor, but that’s just the start.

Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke and Lance McCullers Jr. will be free agents after the 2021 season, as will shortstop Carlos Correa, who is heading for a huge salary and may be ready to abandon ship without any sign of a imminent extension.

Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez give the team an exciting young one-two offensively, and infielder stalwarts Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve are both under contract until 2024. But this roster won’t be the heavyweight they are. she was a few seasons ago.

This bodes well for the Oakland Athletics, who won the AL West last year before the Astros ousted them from the ALDS. It’s also good news for a desperate Los Angeles Angels team, a Seattle Mariners team approaching the turning point of a long rebuild and even a Texas Rangers team embarking on their own rebuild.

The division is up for grabs.

5 out of 7

Kathy Willens / Associated press

Not a good 24 hours for the New York Mets.

First, they shot new chief executive Jared Porter on Tuesday morning for sending explicit, unsolicited photos to a reporter in 2016, which included an image of a naked penis, during his time with the Chicago Cubs.

Then, in a less serious real-life situation but still a blow to the field, a team on a mission to make a splash this offseason lost one of their best free agent targets hours later. . .

The Mets were my choice as Springer’s most likely landing point in November, and their interest had been no secret since the start of the offseason.

They came with a six-year offer in the range of $ 120 to $ 125 million, according to Marc Feinsand of MLB.com, leaving them well below Blue Jays terms.

The Mets will agree with Dominic Smith, Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto in pencil in the outfield, but it’s not a promising start for their new purchasing power under billionaire owner Steve Cohen.

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Marcio José Sanchez / Associated press

The Blue Jays have awarded a few big contracts to retain their internal talent, including the seven-year, $ 126 million extension signed to Vernon Wells in December 2006, which was the biggest deal in franchise history before the deal. Springer.

However, they have rarely attracted top free agent talent.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest free agency deals in franchise history, thanks to the graph that Andrew Stoeten of the Athletic reunited, excluding re-signatures:

• Russell Martin: five years, $ 82 million
• Hyun Jin Ryu: four years, $ 80 million
• AJ Burnett: five years, $ 55 million (opt out after three years)
• BJ Ryan: five years, $ 47 million
• JA Happ: three years, $ 36 million
• Kendrys Morales: three years, $ 33 million
• Roger Clemens: three years, $ 24.75 million
• Tanner Roark: two years, $ 24 million
• Frank Thomas: two years, $ 18 million
• Randy Myers: three years, $ 18 million

It’s not exactly a long story of hindering the best free agents, which is why Springer’s signing and Hyun Jin Ryu’s deal last year are so important in paving the way for future negotiations.

With the exciting young nucleus of the Blue Jays, few teams have a brighter long-term vision. Their ability to fill in the gaps in the roster with outside additions could be the determining factor in whether they can move the title forward.

7 out of 7

Eric Christian Smith / Associated press

In a slow-moving market that was starting to look like he might not make a significant multi-year salary for one of the top free agents, Springer became one of the clear winners of the offseason.

MLB Business Rumors predicted a five-year, $ 125 million contract, and he hit that annual value while getting an extra year.

Its reported average annual value of $ 25 million trails only those of Mike Trout ($ 37.1 million) and Bryce Harper ($ 27.5 million) among all outfielders, and it’s tied with Joey Votto for the 20th highest salary in the majors.

Leaving the only team he’s known and the “hitter-friendly” environment of Minute Maid Park may seem like a downside, but he’s performed better on the road during his career:

• Home: .259 / .358 / .461, 79 HR
• Road: .279 / .364 / .520, 95 HR

Going even further, he combed through Toronto with a .358 / .453 / .604 line and three home runs at Rogers Center in the small sample of 65 plate appearances.

Joining an exciting and growing young team whose window of contention has just opened, Springer finds himself in an ideal situation after landing a salary at the best of times.

All statistics are courtesy of Baseball reference and FanGraphs.