TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays have re-signed centre-fielder Kevin Kiermaier to a one-year, US$10.5-million contract.
Kiermaier won a gold glove in his first season with the Blue Jays in 2023. On offence, he had a .265 batting average with eight home runs and 36 RBIs.
The 33-year-old re-joins Daulton Varsho and George Springer in the Blue Jays outfield.
It’s Toronto’s first major move of the off-season after the club struck out on signing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month.
Kiermaier is a four-time gold-glove winner and one-time platinum-glove winner.
The product of Fort Wayne, Ind., played in parts of 10 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays after the franchise drafted him in 2010. He first joined the Blue Jays on a one-year, $9-million deal last off-season after undergoing hip surgery in his final year with the Rays.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2023.