Kevin Kiermaier brings elite defence to Toronto: ‘I’m a game-changer out there’

From the beginning, the Blue Jays made Kevin Kiermaier feel wanted.

After nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays — and 13 years with the organization — Kiermaier entered free agency for the first time in his career after the Rays declined a $13 million club option for 2023.

The Blue Jays, who up until then had only ever been a division foe, were one of the first teams to reach out. And on a Zoom call with his wife by his side, Kiermaier immediately felt a connection with Toronto, the organization offering him an opportunity to play regularly within the kind of fun-yet-competitive environment he thrives in.

“No other team gave me more attention than the Blue Jays from the start,” Kiermaier said on a Zoom call Thursday after the Blue Jays officially announced his one-year, $9 million deal. “As a player, you just want to feel wanted, and no other team seemed to want me more than the Blue Jays and that appealed to me so much. They made me feel loved right from the start.”

After missing half of the 2022 season following left hip surgery, interested teams were primarily looking to sign Kiermaier to a one-year deal. Once he understood his market, the 32-year-old centre fielder decided Toronto would be the best fit. Among the reasons: they were offering him the best chance at a regular job in centre field.

“They said they want me to play pretty much every day, they want me manning centre field out there, getting my rest when I need to, but there were no platoon talks or anything like that,” Kiermaier said. “It seems like it’s my job to lose, I guess you could say, and I’m going to do everything in my power to go out there and play Gold-Glove-calibre defence and do what I can offensively to just be a nice complement to an already great offensive team.”

As the front office has reconfigured the roster this offseason, a theme has been run prevention. Kiermaier, a defensive whiz, folds into that throughline perfectly. Since 2016, no centre fielder has been worth more Outs Above Average than Kiermaier’s 71, per Statcast.

“From a defensive point, I think, I’m a game-changer out there and now that my legs are feeling so much better, I know I can get back to my form that I was before,” Kiermaier said. “I want the pitchers to know that they can attack these guys, throw the ball over the plate. If it doesn’t leave the yard and if it’s in the air long enough I’m going to catch it. I’m going to limit runners to bases — guys don’t go first to third on me a whole lot, and little things like that matter. Run prevention is my bread and butter.”

However, even with Kiermaier able to play everyday centre field, there’s room for the Blue Jays to add another left-handed bat, who could play a corner outfield and/or DH. The sense is the front office will continue to explore a further add here, whether it be in a trade or free agency.

If Kiermaier is slotting in at centre field regularly — assuming he stays healthy — that likely moves Springer to right field. After dealing with a series of injuries throughout his two years in Toronto, there was always a line of thinking that suggested sliding Springer to a less physically demanding corner outfield position could help keep him on the field more. Throughout the offseason, general manager Ross Atkins said he believed Springer would be open to that idea. Still, in his discussions with the club before signing, Kiermaier made sure to check that Springer would be on board with moving over the right field and ultimately, his signing suggests the answer was yes. Although Springer should still be an option in centre field, should Kiermaier be unavailable, the Blue Jays also have Whit Merrifield and Cavan Biggio as utility players who can cover several outfield positions. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is expected to be prepared to play right field if needed next year, too.

The key to Kiermaier helping keep runs off the board will hinge on how often he’s able to take the field. In August, Kiermaier underwent hip surgery to address an impingement and repair a torn labrum he’d been playing through since 2021. After an MRI revealed the tear in January 2021, Kiermaier visited a hip specialist who suggested they first treat it with a cortisone shot to avoid surgery. Kiermaier took the shot and played through the discomfort during the 2021 season: “I didn’t feel quite like myself, but it was enough to get by.”

But the following year, while participating in a base running drill in spring training, he aggravated the hip. He tried another cortisone shot but, “it was an uphill battle” and he didn’t feel like he was playing to his capability. With his “shredded labrum” too much to bear, he shut down his season in July and had surgery the following month.

“I felt guilty what I was putting my body through and I knew surgery was what was needed,” he said. “With what I put my body through, trying to get ready, be a speed guy, doing all the things I had to do to try to keep my game at a top level was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do and very mentally draining. But once again, here I am with a new hip, (it’s) pumped life into me. I’m so happy now. I’m ready to go and I’m ready to prove to these guys that I’m healthy and I can stay on that field the full season.”

The most games Kiermaier has ever played in a season was 151 in 2015. Since 2017, Kiermaier’s played more than 100 games only twice. He called the labrum tear a fluke thing, but early in his career, his overaggressiveness led to avoidable injuries, he said. Now, older and wiser, he’s determined to strike the balance between playing hard but smart. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal also reported his deal includes $750,000 in possible bonuses he can earn by staying on the active roster, so there’s a monetary value to staying healthy, as well.

At 22 weeks post-surgery, Kiermaier believes he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery, initially cited as six to seven months, and he feels about 85-90 percent back to normal. He’s already running, hitting and throwing and expects to be ready to go in spring training.

“I know one speed, and with that being said, I know I need to do a better job of doing what I can to stay on the field,” Kiermaier said.

Kiermaier is confident the repaired hip will help him regain his defensive prowess and explosive speed on the bases. He also believes it’ll help him offensively. Since 2018, he’s slashed .232/.296/.382 with a below-average 87 wRC+. Offence has been the most inconsistent element of his game throughout his career, Kiermaier said, and for at least the last two seasons, he wasn’t even able to use his lower body while swinging, which led to bad habits and a reduction in power.

Hitting in the cages lately, however, Kiermaier said he’s noticed “a huge difference in swinging without pain.” He’s hopeful the work he’s putting in this offseason and learning from some of his new teammates will lead to an improved offensive performance in 2023.

“I haven’t scratched the surface with my offensive potential yet and now that I can get a better idea of what I want to do, and a little bit healthier, I think I’m gonna have a great year offensively,” Kiermaier said.

That said, given his career offensive track record, it’s not realistic that Kiermaier alone can make up for the lost offence from trading Teoscar Hernández. The Blue Jays need another bat, still. But, as a left-handed hitter, Kiermaier adds versatility and if manager John Schneider slots him in the bottom third of the order, he’ll “do my part down there.”

“I want to get on base as much as possible, draw my walks, bunt a little bit more, do whatever I can to complement this lineup and let all the big dogs drive me in,” he said. “I’ll score as many runs as I can, do my part, but these guys who are hitting in the same lineup as me, it’s going to make my job a lot easier.”

Since news trickled out about his signing last week, Kiermaier has heard from some of his new teammates and team staff. Kiermaier lives in Tampa, so he’s planning to regularly visit the team’s player development complex in Dunedin, Fla. — a 35-minute drive from his home — during the offseason so he can acclimatize to the team before spring training begins. Speaking of, Blue Jays’ camp being based so close to his home was another factor that contributed to him choosing Toronto.

“I know the area already and that’s comforting for me,” he said. “To be around my family a little bit longer without having to leave for spring is an awesome thing.”

After nine seasons with the Rays, Kiermaier is still wrapping his mind around suiting up for one of their rivals. But he’s excited about a new journey — and about wearing a new shade of blue.

“With the talent in that clubhouse that we’ll bring to the table each and every day, we can win a lot of ball games and make a lot of great things happen and we’ll see how we mesh with each other, but I have all the confidence in the world that it’s going to be a great fit for all parties,” he said. “And putting on a different shade of blue will be a great thing, as well. I think it’ll complement my eyes a little bit.”

(Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today)