Less than 24 hours after the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly came to terms with 2017 World Series MVP George Springer, the team appears to have inked another former Houston Astros outfielder to a lucrative deal.
Hazel Mae of Sportsnet was the first to report that the Blue Jays have reached a three-year deal with veteran outfielder Michael Brantley. RADIO.COM MLB Insider Jon Heyman has confirmed the length of the contract.
Brantley spent the first decade of his career in Cleveland, making three All-Star teams and helping the team reach the 2016 World Series. If there was any drawback to Brantley's 10 years in Cleveland, it's that he often struggled with injuries.
However, in two seasons with the Astros, Brantley was largely able to stay healthy, slashing .309/.370/.497 in 194 games, helping the Astros to return to the World Series in 2019 and the ALCS in 2020.
Brantley, 33, now joins a Blue Jays team that went 32-28 in 2020, sneaking into the playoffs as part of the expanded postseason field. He and Springer bring extensive postseason experience to a lineup full of young talents, such as Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernandez, Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Blue Jays will have their work cut out making a legitimate run at the American League East, though they certainly now have a lineup capable of making a push for arguably the sport's best division. If No. 1 prospect Nate Pearson is able to make an immediate impact behind American League Cy Young Award finalist Hyun-jin Ryu, the Blue Jays could return to the postseason in 2021, maybe with a division title for the first time since 2015.
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