A really bad 24 hours for the New York Mets just got a little worse Tuesday night. Free agent center fielder George Springer, who was rumored for months to be on the Mets radar is signing with the Toronto Blue Jays for six years at $150 million.
The news comes off the heels of the Mets GM scandal, where former GM Jared Porter was fired Tuesday morning after reports surfaced he sent over 60 pornographic photos to a female journalist.
The news is a huge blow to the Mets. New York was hoping that Springer would eventually sign with them that would shore up the Mets defensively up the middle and give them a powerful right handed bat at the top of the order.
Springer hit 20 plus homers in five of his first six seasons, including corking 39 homers and driving in 96 two seasons ago in 2019. Springer was a three-time All Star, who became an adept postseason hitter, boasting a .276 batting average in 63 career playoff games. Instead, Springer will take his talents across the border to Toronto.
That means the Mets will have to look at lesser options for center field. Jackie Bradley Jr. is considered an alternative, although he is older -- 31 years old next season, and is not the hitter that Springer is. Bradley Jr. is a .239 hitter lifetime. If the Mets don't go with Bradley, they would have to bit the bullet and settle with light hitting Brandon Nimmo in center field and Dom Smith in left - especially with the DH likely not in the NL this year.
In short things are getting a lot tougher for the Mets.
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