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George Springer

DH · R/R · age 37 · TOR

XIX-AXX-B FA10-AND-5OCTOBER OK

Roster status
ACTIVE
Service thru 2025
11+166
Service now / projected
12+166 / 12+166
Option years left (2026)
3
Assignments left this season
5 of 5
Contract (2027)
FREE AGENT
Acquired
Free Agent (HOU) Jan'21
Outrighted / DFA'd before
0 / 0
Contract
6 yr, $150M (2021-26); May block trades to eight teams

Next 90 days, by the model

Stays put
98%
Designated
<1%
Optioned
<1%
Traded
2%
Released or non-tendered
<1%

Pushing the cut risk around: last season's WAR (5.22) lowers it, this season's WAR (1.10) lowers it, age (36.99) raises it.

Context the model does not weigh: ZiPS projects 1.7 WAR, 1.1 WAR this season; 5 IF on the 40-man, of whom George Springer is headed to free agency.

Trained on every 40-man roster snapshot since 2011 and what happened in the following 90 days; it sees roster status, options, service, history and last season's line, not this season's performance or the club's intentions. How well it does.

Is there a job for him next year?

TOR returns 10 IF on the 40-man once 2 free agents leave; about 8 IF jobs survive a normal winter. By his own recent record he ranks 11th among the returners (2.5 WAR against a bar of -0.1), which the calibrated model turns into 100% kept through the tender deadline. Ranked by ZiPS and Steamer instead, which credit his longer track record, he is 11th (2.1 WAR, bar 0.2), worth 100% kept on the same model.

By recent record: returning IFProj. WAR
1. Kazuma Okamoto2.5
2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.2.4
3. Andres Gimenez2.4
4. Ernie Clement1.9
5. Davis Schneider0.7
6. Charles McAdoo0.4
7. Shawn Ross0.3
8. Yohendrick Pinangolast job-0.1
9. John Klein-0.4
10. Sean Keys-0.6
By ZiPS / Steamer: returning IFProj. WAR
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.4.5
2. Andres Gimenez2.6
3. Kazuma Okamoto2.5
4. Ernie Clement2.2
5. Davis Schneider1.5
6. Charles McAdoo0.7
7. John Klein0.3
8. Shawn Rosslast job0.2
9. Sean Keys0.1
10. Yohendrick Pinango-0.1

Departing free agents are excluded; players on club, mutual or player options are counted as returning. The kept probability is calibrated on every September since 2012 using the recent-record projection; the ZiPS/Steamer reading uses the same model with a different ranking, so treat it as a second opinion rather than a calibrated number. Salary enters once arbitration projections publish in October.

October: Post-season eligible

On the 40-man before noon ET Sep 1. He stays eligible as long as he remains on the 40-man or 60-day IL through the post-season; an outright after the cutoff would end automatic eligibility.

The post-season eligibility list is fixed at noon ET on September 1: everyone on the 40-man, the 60-day IL or the military list at that moment, who then stays there without interruption. Attachment 25 (Major League Rule 40)

What happens if the club…

option him to the minorsBLOCKED
Not without his consent: with five years of service he can refuse the assignment or elect free agency instead. The club's only unilateral moves are to keep him, trade him, or release him.
Article XIX-A: five years, no forced assignment
designate him for assignment (or put him on outright waivers)
The club has 7 days to trade him, pass him through outright waivers, or release him; he is paid at the major-league rate and keeps accruing service in the meantime. On outright waivers any club can claim him for $50,000, worst record first, and the claiming club takes his contract (6 yr, $150M (2021-26)). If he clears, he cannot be outrighted without his consent: he can refuse and force a release with his contract intact, or elect free agency (forfeiting termination pay). Post-season: an outright after the September 1 cutoff ends his automatic eligibility. He could only return as an approved injury replacement, and only if he accepts the outright and stays on a minor-league reserve list in the organization without interruption; a release makes him ineligible for anyone this October. With real money left on the contract a claim is unlikely; the usual outcome is clearing waivers, then release, with the club paying the balance less what a new club pays him.
Designated for assignment: 7 days · Outright waivers · Article XIX-A: five years, no forced outright
release him
Release waivers cost a claiming club $1 but the claimant assumes the whole contract, so expensive players clear. The club owes the full unpaid balance of this season's salary, offset by whatever another club pays him this year. A released player is not post-season eligible for any club this year.
Release waivers and termination pay · Which rate a split contract pays at release
trade himBLOCKED
Not now: players on major-league contracts cannot be traded after the Aug 3 deadline until the day after the World Series.
Trade deadline · 10-and-5 rights · June 15 no-trade for free-agent signees
Let the season end
He becomes an Article XX-B free agent at 9 AM ET the day after the World Series; only the club can talk to him for five days after that. A qualifying offer is possible only if he has been with the club since Opening Day and never received one before.
Article XX-B free agency · Qualifying offer

What the rules say about him

Transaction log

Jul 6, 2026Status changeToronto Blue Jays activated DH George Springer from the bereavement list.
Jul 4, 2026Status changeToronto Blue Jays placed DH George Springer on the bereavement list.
Jul 1, 2026Status changeToronto Blue Jays placed DH George Springer on the paternity list.
Apr 29, 2026Status changeToronto Blue Jays activated DH George Springer from the 10-day injured list.
Apr 12, 2026Status changeToronto Blue Jays placed RF George Springer on the 10-day injured list. Left great toe fracture.
Aug 16, 2025Status changeToronto Blue Jays activated RF George Springer from the 7-day injured list.
Aug 1, 2025Status changeToronto Blue Jays placed RF George Springer on the 7-day injured list retroactive to July 29, 2025. Concussion.
Jul 10, 2023Status changeToronto Blue Jays activated RF George Springer from the paternity list.
Jul 8, 2023Status changeToronto Blue Jays placed RF George Springer on the paternity list.
Aug 15, 2022Status changeToronto Blue Jays activated RF George Springer from the 10-day injured list.
Aug 6, 2022Status changeToronto Blue Jays placed RF George Springer on the 10-day injured list retroactive to August 5, 2020. Right elbow inflammation.
Aug 30, 2021Status changeToronto Blue Jays activated RF George Springer from the 10-day injured list.
Aug 17, 2021Status changeToronto Blue Jays placed RF George Springer on the 10-day injured list. Left knee sprain.
Jun 22, 2021Status changeToronto Blue Jays activated RF George Springer.
May 5, 2021Status changeToronto Blue Jays placed RF George Springer on the 10-day injured list. Right quad strain.
Apr 28, 2021Status changeToronto Blue Jays activated RF George Springer from the 10-day injured list.
Jan 23, 2021Signed as free agentToronto Blue Jays signed free agent OF George Springer.
Oct 28, 2020Declared free agentRF George Springer elected free agency.
Jun 24, 2019Status changeHouston Astros activated RF George Springer from the 10-day injured list.
May 25, 2019Status changeHouston Astros placed RF George Springer on the 10-day injured list. Left hamstring strain.
Aug 17, 2018Status changeHouston Astros activated CF George Springer from the 10-day injured list.
Aug 6, 2018Status changeHouston Astros placed CF George Springer on the 10-day disabled list. Sprained left thumb.
Aug 9, 2017Status changeHouston Astros activated CF George Springer from the 10-day disabled list.
Jul 28, 2017Status changeHouston Astros placed RF George Springer on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 25, 2017. Left quad discomfort.
Sep 4, 2015Status changeHouston Astros activated RF George Springer from the 15-day disabled list.
Jul 2, 2015Status changeHouston Astros placed RF George Springer on the 15-day disabled list. Right wrist fracture
May 13, 2015Status changeHouston Astros activated RF George Springer from the 7-day disabled list.
May 6, 2015Status changeHouston Astros placed RF George Springer on the 7-day disabled list. Concussion.
Sep 29, 2014Status changeHouston Astros activated RF George Springer from the 15-day disabled list.
Jul 23, 2014Status changeHouston Astros placed RF George Springer on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 20, 2014. Left quad strain
Apr 16, 2014Contract selectedHouston Astros selected the contract of RF George Springer from Oklahoma City RedHawks.
Aug 15, 2011SignedHouston Astros signed OF George Springer.

Service through 2025 per FanGraphs RosterResource; options and this-season service reconstructed from the MLB transaction log (reconstruction; FanGraphs shows n/a). Rule 5 exposure deadline Nov 17, 2026.