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When Kevin Kiermaier started talking about his new chapter with the Blue Jays on Thursday during his introductory Zoom call with Toronto media, he couldn¡¯t stop.

Perhaps it was the thrill of free agency for the first time at 32, 10 years into his MLB career. Perhaps it was the $9 million he¡¯d just secured from the Blue Jays. Perhaps he was just excited to see me.

Kiermaier¡¯s energy was genuine, though, filled with a drive to reestablish himself as one of the game¡¯s truly elite defenders after hip surgery to repair a torn labrum cut his 2022 season short. Over and over, Kiermaier said that his repaired hip has ¡°pumped life" into him, and the opportunity standing in front of him may be bigger than we expected.

In Kiermaier¡¯s eyes, the centre-field job is his to lose. The Blue Jays didn¡¯t discuss a platoon or a part-time role with him, and frankly, if you¡¯re signing for $9 million, you tend to have a good feel for these things. That would mean more George Springer in right field if Kiermaier can stay healthy. But one thing¡¯s for sure: He¡¯s motivated.

Here¡¯s what Kiermaier had to say:

On his big league journey:
¡°I was the 941st pick of the 2010 Draft and I¡¯ll never forget that. I¡¯ve always played with a chip on my shoulder. Life is about taking advantage of opportunities, and I did that to become an everyday big leaguer with the Rays for so many years. This is a new opportunity with the Blue Jays, and once again, I¡¯m going to give it my all.¡±

On ¡°gracefully hitting¡± walls, not crashing into them:
¡°I know one speed. With that being said, I need to do a better job of doing what I can to stay on the field. To give you a life and baseball recap, I got drafted for the way I played. I got called up to the big leagues for the way I played through the Minor Leagues, then I got a long-term contract because of the way I played and how I handle my business. I take a lot of pride in that.¡±

Kiermaier¡¯s interests include:
¡°I like to win. I like to pop champagne. I like to celebrate after games. They sent me a recruitment video that showed me the day-in, day-out of what they¡¯ve got going on during the season. It looked like so much fun to be a part of. I cannot wait to get it going. I know I keep saying that, but these guys have pumped so much life into me. I¡¯m ready to give them everything I have.¡±

How¡¯s the hip?
¡°I¡¯m 22 weeks out post-surgery, and through this entire rehab process, I feel like I¡¯ve been ahead of schedule or feel better than what I originally expected. Right now, I¡¯m probably 90 percent. I¡¯m running and doing everything. It¡¯s just about training my body to move at an optimum level, and I¡¯m very close to that, but I¡¯m hitting, throwing and doing everything.¡±

¡°This new labrum has pumped so much life back into me. In 2021 and 2022, with what I put my body through trying to get ready, be a speed guy, try to keep my game at a top level, it was the hardest thing I¡¯ve ever had to do. It was very mentally draining. But here I am with a new hip. It¡¯s pumped life into me. I¡¯m so happy now. I¡¯m ready to go.¡±

Betting on his own upside:
¡°I haven¡¯t scratched the surface on my offensive potential yet. Now that I have a better idea of what I want to do and I¡¯m a little bit healthier, I think I¡¯m going to have a great year offensively and I¡¯m really excited to prove that. I like my approach. I like my plan and my game prep for each game, but I know I can learn a lot from these young, great hitters they have.¡±