Tag Archives: continue

Blue Jays continue free-agency splash with Michael Brantley, Kirby Yates

The
Toronto
Blue
Jays
are
making
their
move.

After

beating
out
the
Mets
for
star
center
fielder
George
Springer
on
Tuesday,
the
Blue
Jays
reached
deals
with
outfielder
Michael
Brantley
and
reliever
Kirby
Yates.

The
Post’s
Joel
Sherman
confirmed
Brantley
and
the
Blue
Jays
agreed
to
a
three-year
deal,
while
multiple
reports
said
Yates
got
a
one-year,
$5.5
million
deal.

Those
moves
came
after
Toronto
doled
out
a
six-year,
$150
million
contract
for
Springer,
the
31-year-old
New
Britain,
Conn.
native
who’s
a
three-time
All-Star.

Brantley,
33,
was
teammates
with
Springer
in
Houston
for
the
past
two
seasons,
earning
his
third
consecutive
All-Star
nod
in
2019.
He
had
a
slash
line
of
.300/.364/.476
in
46
games
during
last
year’s
truncated
season.

Yates,
33,
made
just
six
appearances
in
2020
because
of
an
elbow
injury
but
had
a
dominant
2019
season
as
the
Padres’
closer,
pitching
to
a
1.19
ERA
with
101
strikeouts
in
60
games
while
recording
an
MLB-leading
41
saves.

Toronto’s
attempt
to
make
a
run
at
the
AL
East
crown
comes
as
the
reigning
division
champion
Rays
have
lost
key
pieces
like
Blake
Snell,
whom
they
traded
to
the
Padres,
and
Charlie
Morton,
who
signed
with
the
Braves
in
free
agency.
The
Yankees,
meanwhile,
were
able
to
re-sign
DJ
LeMahieu

to
a
six-year,
$90
million
contract
and
landed
former
Cy
Young
winner
Corey
Kluber

on
a
one-year,
$11
million
deal.