We learned last week that the Blue Jays and New York Mets are understood to be the two finalists for George Springer, the top outfielder on the free-agent market. We also learned that Springer is looking for a massive contract, one that’s apparently north of $150 million.

On Monday, Jim Duquette of SportsNet New York said that the Blue Jays have tabled an “aggressive” offer for Springer, though it was well below that $150 million figure. He also reported that the Mets and Springer aren’t anywhere close on a deal.

I said over the weekend that dishing out $150 million to Springer, a player on the wrong side of 30 who will probably need to pivot to a corner outfield position sooner rather than later, might not be the best use of Toronto’s financial flexibility. There’s no doubt that he would be a good add to help the team improve immediately, but there’s significant risk of such a contract aging poorly.

Another thing to consider is that Springer and Co. might be using the Blue Jays to simply drive up the Mets’ offer. We have no idea how serious Springer is about signing in Toronto/Buffalo/Dunedin, but all signs do point to him being an ideal fit for the Mets, given the fact he’s front nearby Connecticut and his wife is from New York.