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Free-agent shortstop Marcus Semien has signed a one-year, $18 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan.
Semien ultimately decided to take a bet-on-yourself deal from the Blue Jays. The deal mirrors ones signed by Josh Donaldson and Marcell Ozuna in previous offseasons–one-year deals at or near the qualifying offer that allows a player to prove their worth and hopefully cash in during the following offseason.
Semien struggled in the short 2020 season, producing a .233/.305/.374 slash line and 91 OPS+, but his 2019 season featured a third-place MVP. Outside of his stellar 2019 campaign, though, Semien has hovered around being a league-average hitter for seven-plus seasons.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic says the Blue Jays plan to play Semien at second base with Bo Bichette anchoring shortstop. This will likely move Cavan Biggio to third base or a corner outfield spot, too.
The Blue Jays are shaping up to be a tough out for opposing AL East pitching staffs.
Read Dilip Sridhar’s free agent profile of Marcus Semien here.
