Blue Jays have contract concern with Daulton Varsho, George Springer originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Toronto Blue Jays are running things back with a very similar lineup this season, minus Bo Bichette.
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Reliable veteran outfielders Daulton Varsho and George Springer are both back, although it’s safe to expect Springer to be the designated hitter. They have something else in common, too.
After the 2026 season, Varsho and Springer will both be out of contract. It’ll create a situation where the Blue Jays might have to figure out what their next steps are.
They’re both getting a bit up there in years, Springer more so than Varsho, and so maybe re-signing both won’t be the move.
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However, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand suggests that at least Varsho could be worthy of bringing back beyond the 2026 season.
He wrote about him in a new article Thursday, with the premise being players who could be extended before their current deal is up. The clock is ticking on such a move for Varsho.
“Varsho will earn $10.75 million in 2026 before hitting the free-agent market, and while he played in only 71 games in 2025, he was one of Toronto’s best hitters when he was healthy and remains an elite defender,” Feinsand writes. “The Blue Jays don’t have many outfield options signed beyond 2026 (Varsho and George Springer will both be free agents after the season), which was one of the reasons Toronto pursued Kyle Tucker this offseason. Varsho has a 16.2 bWAR over the past four years, showing himself to be a valuable player.”
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The Blue Jays don’t necessarily have another centerfielder waiting in the wings, unless they want to move either Addison Barger or Nathan Lukes to that spot.
If they feel Varsho can continue to get the job done defensively in that position, he’d be useful to keep around longer than just 2026.
A potential lockout pending in the offseason could complicate things further, but it’s worth seeing if the Blue Jays make any movement on a Varsho deal, because there are long-term implications in the Toronto outfield.
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