(Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays have pursued some of the best players in free agency this offseason.
They went hard after Shohei Ohtani and were one of the finalists before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they also inquired on pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Most of their pursuits have been unsuccessful, though.
Until Tuesday.
The Blue Jays are bringing back an important part of their 2023 puzzle: center fielder Kevin Kiermaier.
“The Blue Jays are signing Kevin Kiermaier to a 1-year, $10.5M deal per @BNightengale,” FOX Sports: MLB tweeted.
The Blue Jays are signing Kevin Kiermaier to a 1-year, $10.5M deal per @BNightengale pic.twitter.com/xu9s2DLsTL
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 26, 2023
Kiermaier will put pen to paper on a one-year, $10.5 million deal.
He tried to secure a multi-year offer, but ultimately wasn’t able to do that.
He is getting up there in age (he will be 34 shortly after Opening Day) but remains a top defender in center field, one of the hardest positions to master.
In 2023, he had an impressive 18 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and 13 Outs Above Average (OAA) in center, both elite marks.
His athleticism, range, baseball smarts, route running, and jumps are all top-notch.
With the bat, he had one of his most productive seasons in recent memory, hitting a cool .265/.322/.419 with eight home runs, 14 stolen bases and a .741 OPS in 129 games.
His offensive upside is very limited at this stage of his career, but given his league-average bat and his incredible defense, he remains an asset that the Blue Jays were more than willing to bring back.
He represents a solid addition for the team, but more is needed to compete with the top American League powerhouses.
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