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Kevin Kiermaier was a key addition to the Toronto Blue Jays last year, providing excellent outfield defense and good base running as the team tried to build around their young core to make a deep playoff run. The latter didn't happen, but they believe Kiermaier's addition was the right one to make.
They believe that so much that they're reportedly about to bring him back. He was a free agent one year after first joining Toronto, but MLB reporter Mark Feinsand is stating that the two sides are close to a deal.
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Feinsand tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter:
"Kevin Kiermaier is closing in on a deal to return to the Blue Jays, per source. Believed to be one year for ~$10 million."
The Blue Jays missed out on Shohei Ohtani after reports initially claimed that his signing there was imminent. This is not a signing that will fill that gap, but it is one that provides good depth and defense for a small cost.
This likely doesn't preclude them from making big moves, but many fans believe the addition of the outfielder means they will not be signing Cody Bellinger, the top free agent remaining.
Kiermaier plays center field, which is the same position that Bellinger would play. For whatever reason, the market isn't all that active on the former Chicago Cubs outfielder, which led many to believe that Toronto could sign him.
That, plus missing out on Ohtani, has Toronto fans in despair as it appears that their offseason might be defined by Kevin Kiermaier rather than any superstar free agent.
Blue Jays potentially bringing back Kevin Kiermaier
Kevin Kiermaier was a very solid player in Toronto last year. He recorded a 2.2 fWAR and was an above average hitter with a 104 wRC+. That's not a league-changing or title-winning player per se, but it's the sort of player all teams could use.
They haven't officially signed him, but Feinsand reports that they're close to another one-year deal worth somewhere around $10 million. The official deal will likely be announced pretty soon.
