Winning signal

The Toronto Blue Jays have finally signalled they are going to be a serious contender in the American League East division next season. The Jays added power to their lineup recently, when they signed outfielder George Springer to a huge contract, a six-year deal valued at $150 million.

In Springer, not only are the Jays improving their outfield depth, but, they are also adding a former World Series MVP, a three-time all star and a two-time Silver Slugger award winner.

This is a sign the Blue Jays are looking to win a championship soon. By signing Springer to such a large contract, the Jays general manager is showing that ownership is willing to pay to get quality players. Rebuilding teams don’t usually sign players to big money contracts, so this shows the Jays are taking the next step in their program.

Adding him to a lineup, which already has young growing players, such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez and Cavan Biggio, makes the Jays even more of a threat when they come up to bat. Last season, Springer hit 14 home runs and drove in 32 runs. He was second in runs scored in the American League in 2017, and his current home run average, per season, is 35.

While I’m excited about this deal, I also wonder if it really needed to take this long. Blue Jays fans watched throughout the off-season on pins and needles, as reported targets DJ LeMahieu, Francisco Lindor and Tomoyuki Sugano all signed or were traded elsewhere. Not to mention, the team’s starting pitching rotation could still use an addition or two to make them truly a contender. The Hyun-jin Ryu signing, last season, was a promising start, but they could use another powerful arm to complete and improve the rotation.

This was a big move by Jays management, to sign Springer to the biggest contract in franchise history. But I’m still hopeful there will be more big moves to come.