*Photo from Yahoo Sports*
This outfielder is staying in the AL East. OF Kevin Kiermaier and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a one year, $10.5 million contract, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The move has been confirmed.
One of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, Kiermaier captured his 4th career gold glove after he signed a one year contract with the Blue Jays entering 2023. While not known for his bat, Kiermaier posted an OPS above his career average in his first season north of the border. After a successful season in all aspects for Kiermaier, he's back with Toronto for another season.
Coming off hip surgery in 2022 that cut his season short, Kiermaier had a resurgence in 2023. He posted a .265/.322/.419 slash line with a 104 OPS+, hitting 8 home runs and 21 doubles with 36 RBI's in 129 games. He had two hits and a walk in 6 plate appearances over two playoff games.
After he tormented the Blue Jays for 10 years with his defensive excellence, he did it in a Toronto uniform in 2023. He led AL center fielders with 13 outs above average and placed second in all of baseball, behind only Brenton Doyle of the Colorado Rockies.
The jump that Kiermaier gets is also one of his calling cards. Jump by an outfielder is defined as the first 3 seconds after a batter makes contact. Compared to the average outfielder, Kiermaier covers 3.3 feet more in those 3 seconds, good for the best in baseball.
Kiermaier has spent 11 seasons in the majors, coming with the Tampa Bay Rays and Blue Jays. He has posted a .249/.309/.409 slash line with a 98 OPS+, hitting 90 home runs and 161 doubles with 352 RBI's in 1,043 regular season games. He also has a .229/.267/.448 slash line with 12 RBI's and 4 home runs in 31 playoff games.
The Blue Jays return one of the best defensive outfields in baseball with Kiermaier re-signing, as he'll be flanked by Daulton Varsho in left and George Springer in right. The Blue Jays could still sign a 4th outfielder in a reserve role, though Nathan Lukes and Cavan Biggio could fill the role internally.
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