George Springer didn’t close the door on retirement, but he also didn’t sound like a player planning much of a Toronto future.
With the Blue Jays officially out of postseason contention after Wednesday’s doubleheader loss to the Baltimore Orioles, Springer was asked by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi whether he intends to call it a career. The 37-year-old, who is in the final season of the six-year, $150 million contract he signed before the 2021 campaign, kept his answer open-ended.
“I'll cross that road once I get to it. We've still got to get through these next three [games], and then we'll go into the off-season, and I'll see what happens,” Springer told Davidi.
He was even more direct about where his head is at emotionally.
“I don't know.. I love this organization.
I loved being a Blue Jay. I've loved every single bit of being here.
I haven't really gotten that far yet. I've kind of taken every day with these guys in stride.”
Springer also said, “If my mind can say it, then my body can do it - my body can do whatever I tell it to do, hopefully.”
The Blue Jays have one home series left before the offseason begins, and it may end up being Springer's last run in front of Toronto fans. He is among the team’s free agents set to hit the market in November.
His 2026 season started slowly, with Springer hitting .218 and posting a .692 OPS, but he found his groove after the All-Star break. Since then, he’s batting .293 with an .800 OPS, a strong rebound that could help him if he decides to keep playing.
That said, a return to Toronto feels unlikely.
Springer made sure to acknowledge what the fan base has meant to him if this is the end.
"I'm very grateful to our fans, this team, this organization. Obviously this is not the way that we all wanted it to end. But if it is, I'm going to do my best to embrace being back home for one last time and making sure that I do anything I can to reciprocate to the fans," Springer said to Davidi.
Fans had already started reading the tea leaves earlier in the season after Springer sold his $6 million Lawrence Park home.
No matter what happens in November, Springer’s Blue Jays tenure has already delivered moments that will stick. Most notably, he authored one of the biggest hits in franchise history, the swing that sent Toronto to its first World Series in 32 years.
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