Brad Penner – USA TODAY Sports
This is it. After months of anticipation and falsely projecting George Springer‘s entrance to MLB during September call-ups, this has to be the move that signifies the beginning of the Springer era. No. 1 first base prospect Jonathan Singleton was already added to the 40-man roster earlier in the offseason and it continues to be only a matter of time before Springer joins him.
With the excess of roster spots that opened up following the corresponding moves around the Ryan Jackson signing, it only makes sense that the highest-touted and the most MLB-ready prospect in the system is added to the 40-man.
Springer has already been anointed the starting center fielder for the 2014 Houston Astros by many, so the rest of the process is just a formality. As a five-tool player, the major leagues are the only remaining challenge for the 24-year-old product from the University of Connecticut.
He boasts a .299 average with 62 home runs, 198 RBIs and 81 stolen bases in three season in the minors. While nothing is a guarantee when it comes to minor league to major league production, Springer is about as close as they come. The only fault Springer has ever had is his strikeout numbers, but even those improved towards the end of the Triple-A season.
Springer is already a major leaguer — the rest is just paperwork.
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