Five years ago, George Springer was one of Major League Baseball’s most prominent free agents.

As a highly touted outfielder and proven playoff performer, just about every team was interested in acquiring him, but only a small handful could afford his lofty asking price.

When it came time to make a decision, Springer had the option of joining the Blue Jays or New York Mets. He went with Toronto and while money was certainly a factor, the emerging youth and upside of the Jays roster was, too.

After high-profile misses on Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, Springer is now watching some of his peers make the same choice he did. First it was trade deadline recruit Shane Bieber returning on a player option. Then it was No. 1 starter Dylan Cease agreeing to a seven-year deal worth $2

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