Blue Jays’ George Springer ‘Broke Down’ And Cried After Trade Deadline Exit

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 02: George Springer #4 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks connected during the crippled betwixt the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins astatine Target Field connected Saturday, May 2, 2026 successful Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Toronto Blue Jays dramatically reshaped their roster earlier Monday’s waste and acquisition deadline, parting ways pinch respective cardinal veterans arsenic the statement looked toward the near-term future. Familiar names departed successful a flurry of deals, leaving a clubhouse that abruptly looked overmuch different.

With the squad failing to recapture the momentum that carried it each the measurement to Game 7 of the World Series past year, it was clear that the beforehand agency would effort to vessel disconnected immoderate expiring contracts and nett early talent successful return. But the squad did clasp onto immoderate cardinal veterans, moreover arsenic they parted ways pinch galore members of the pennant-winning nine from past year.

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Toronto Blue Jays’ George Springer Holds Emotional Goodbye With Teammates Amid Deadline Flurry

Among the biggest questions entering deadline time was whether seasoned slugger George Springer would beryllium moved.

The 36-year-old was wide viewed arsenic 1 of Toronto's astir logical waste and acquisition candidates given his expiring contract, though he holds the powerfulness to veto immoderate move. Ultimately, Springer remained pinch the Blue Jays, but the departures of a brace of longtime teammates evidently took an affectional toll.

After the squad traded outfielder Daulton Varsho to the Houston Astros connected Monday, he revealed that he and Springer held a tearful goodbye pinch Kevin Gausman the time before, who was dealt to the Chicago Cubs.

“I felt it past nighttime pinch Gausman connected the plane,” Varsho said of flooding emotions during the flurry of transactions, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. “We collapsed down and he cried pinch maine and George.”

Toronto Blue Jays’ George Springer ‘Broke Down’ And Cried With Daulton Varsho, Kevin Gausman

The affectional speech came arsenic Gausman was traded distant connected Sunday, but Varsho and Springer surely understood that they could beryllium next, signaling the charismatic extremity for a group of players who astir took the World Series title from the Los Angeles Dodgers past year.

In summation to Springer, the squad besides opted to clasp veterans Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer.

“The Toronto Blue Jays' very engaged waste and acquisition deadline is now complete,” Sportsnet reported. “The Blue Jays will not waste and acquisition designated hitter George Springer, arsenic good arsenic pitchers Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber… The trio were expected to beryllium moved, arsenic each 3 players are connected expiring contracts.”

Though Springer will extremity the play pinch the Blue Jays, it could beryllium his past successful Toronto. He is playing retired the last play of the five-year statement he signed earlier the 2021 campaign. Entering the agelong run, he's batting .239 pinch a .320 on-base percentage, pinch a .411 slugging percentage, 12 location runs and 36 RBIs. He is besides seen arsenic a cardinal clubhouse leader.

“It was important for him to beryllium here,” Blue Jays wide head Ross Atkins said of Springer aft the deadline, per Sportsnet. “We wanted him present arsenic we proceed to push forward.”

Although Springer survived 1 of the busiest waste and acquisition deadlines successful franchise history, his affectional goodbye pinch Gausman and Varsho illustrated that staying down wasn't needfully easy.