3 teams that can use George Springer to boost their World Series chances
By John Buhler
George Springer is one of the biggest names to hit MLB free agency this offseason.
Whichever MLB team adds George Springer will certainly make itself more playoff-viable.
Springer has spent his entire seven-year big league career with the Houston Astros. He has been an AL All-Star three times, won two Silver Sluggers and was named World Series MVP in 2017. Entering free agency ahead of the 2021 MLB season, Springer may look to play the second half of his career with somebody else outside of Houston. Which teams become contenders with him?
3 teams George Springer helps on their World Series quests
East. 3. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 14. AL. Boston Red Sox
This would be essentially switching places with Jackie Bradley Jr.
It was not that long ago the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. Mookie Betts was their star player and Alex Cora was their star manager. Flash forward two seasons later and Betts plays for the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Cora has been re-hired in Boston after having to spend the 2020 season out of baseball due to the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
Even though it was a 60-game, coronavirus-shortened season, the Red Sox were an atrocious baseball team last year. Everybody and their brother knew they were rudderless from the jump. Unless you absolutely love baseball, there was no reason whatsoever to watch this putrid team play ball in the competitive AL East. They got slaughtered in their 60-game regional schedule.
By adding Springer to the mix, this will help give the Red Sox some much-needed juice they desperately need to start anew under Cora. Boston is a big market team, so it should not be long that they are down in the dumps. This is a franchise that has won four World Series this century. Few teams can flip a switch and go from terrible to league-best quite like the Red Sox can.
In short, adding Springer likely means he will be replacing Jackie Bradley Jr., who will presumably take over for Springer in Houston. Maybe swapping teams could help both parties? Either way, adding Springer ensures us the Red Sox will not reside in the AL East basement again. As long as he is healthy, Boston should be able to hold its own in a very competitive AL East right away.