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DUNEDIN — As much as the highest-paid player on a team can find himself in such a place, it’s almost as if George Springer has slipped under the radar in the early days of spring training.

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Oh, sure, the Blue Jays outfielder has been his usual gregarious self here — self-deprecating times, poking fun at his teammates at others and overall making his presence known during the vast array of drills.

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But as far as “big” stories go, Springer has found himself a few names down the list.

In reality, though, as he embarks on the second half of his six-year deal — the richest in club history — Springer arguably is facing one of the most important seasons in his tenure with the team.

At age 34 and with three more seasons to go, now more than ever the Jays need the superstar/World Series MVP version of Springer who is collecting $150 million US of cold, hard Rogers Communications cash.

“I don’t think about that to be honest,” Springer said when asked to assess his overall body of work on this, his second MLB team. “I know that since I’ve been here, I’ve had a chance to get back to the playoffs twice and the first year we were one game away. Hopefully I’ve helped, whether that’s in the locker room or on the field.”

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Like his teammates, Springer said he spent some of his off-season recalibrating after the way 2023 played out as a whole. The meek playoff exit was bad enough, but Jays players have also focused on channeling better versions of themselves for a regular season in which internally much is expected.

“For me, I’ve learned a lot just about myself,” Springer said. “What I can do better. How I can help guys. It’s obviously stuff that’s going to stay in (the clubhouse) but we’ve gone on, we’ve learned together and understand that experience, even if it is not the way you wanted to end, you still learn from it and grow.”

Of course, what the Jays need most from Springer in 2024 is to go beyond being a leader and be a force at the plate. He’s not alone in that regard, but certainly prominent in a group that includes Vlad Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho.

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Coming off what was a mediocre year of hitting — including a .258 batting average that was the lowest since his rookie season in Houston –Springer will return as manager John Schneider’s leadoff man.

“Last year was kind of a weird year for him,” Schneider said “There was nothing crazy in there the way he was swinging the bat, (but) some bad luck there, too.

“I think George getting back to what he’s really great at — pulling the ball a little bit more — is something he’s talking about.”

If there was a positive to be gleaned from his 2023, it is that his 154 games were the most he has played since 2016. On the downside, there was a 35 at-bat hitless slump in the grinding middle portion of the season that wore on him.

“One (is) that I can do it,” Springer said when asked what he learned about himself through that workload. “It’s possible. I’m a little bit older now and that’s not a big deal. But I learned how to navigate it. I learned how to tell the difference between little aches and pains and fatigues.

“I know my good days. I know my bad days. At the end of the day, I was proud I was able to give it my all every day out there.”

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Playing in right field has helped, though, as Springer noted he only plays at one speed anyway. Still, his manager says he’ll make sure to monitor that workload to ensure he doesn’t get worn down, mixing in some off days and others at DH.

“He played a ton of games last year and (I) want to be very mindful of his work load,” Schneider said. “I’ve joked with him about running him into the ground at times last year and taking the blame for that.

“He’s in a great spot. You don’t want to say have a bounce back year, you want him to do what he did (earlier in his career) and have a little better luck.”

Springer has acknowledged that stressing accountability has been a talking point with this group, a dynamic that worked well during his successful seasons in Houston.

“Everybody held each other to a certain standard and that’s what happens here,” he said. “Everybody understands there’s a certain brand that needs to be played her. You can’t take off a pitch or an at-bat.

“Guys here have four, five, six years of experience together and expect the best out of one another. (So) don’t be afraid to say something if you see it. There’s a standard that’s been set.”

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