Jun 28, 2024, 12:01 ET
The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman surprised many by radically changing his speech about playing with the team that he long said he would never wear.
Once, while Vladimir Guerrero Sr. was preparing for a game at Yankee Stadium, a little boy who would eventually become a football player. Big leagues He was taken off the field where the players were training despite not bothering anyone and simply spending time with his father before the start of the game. This is the story that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has said on multiple occasions when referring to why he feels aversion towards them.
That was the same story that for a long time the young Toronto Blue Jays first baseman cited as the reason why he would never, no matter the amount of money he was offered, suit up for the New York Yankees. For a long time, whenever Guerrero Jr. had the opportunity to criticize the New York organization, he did so and not only that, but it also translated into his performance against them, with the Yankees being one of the teams against which the first baseman has hit the most.
However, unexpectedly, something changed and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. declared that he has left his dislike for the New York team behind, even though he still claims to stand by everything he said in the past. The player now has a new vision of his career in which he has promised not to mention the clash he had with the team in his childhood, nor to let this close the doors for him, also expressly pointing out that he would be in all the willingness to align with them if they express interest in acquiring it before the approaching trade deadline.
The big question here, obviously, is how does so much aversion and disgust for a team disappear before which it was said that “not even for a billion dollars” would one wear that flannel. Given the results of this season, there are several indicators that could explain the reason why Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has made a 180-degree turn.
His father’s advice
It is no mystery to anyone how close Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his father are, who is his greatest and closest advisor. For some time now, the member of the Cooperstown Hall of Fame has publicly expressed that the rivalry against the Yankees is something that should not be handled that way, so it should not be surprising that, convinced by him, Guerrero Jr. has simply decided to leave behind the rivalry he has with the team.
This is reflected in Guerrero Jr.’s own words, who in the interview in which he revealed that he would wear a Yankees uniform, if that were to be the case, repeated on several occasions that he had spoken with his father and his family regarding the situation.
Personal and professional growth
The years are usually a good counselor and today Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is a father, surely sees the world through different eyes. That translates into a different way of seeing things and that vision is fundamental in a business like Major League Baseball.
MLB only has 30 teams and each of them has a limited number of spots for players to fill, so closing the door on one of the league’s top teams is not a wise move. Guerrero Jr. probably understood this and decided it was best to be open to the possibility of a trade to that team or eventually join them if he becomes a free agent.
This is also something that is reflected in the aforementioned interview, in which the player mentioned several times that he understood that this is about business.
The current situation of the Blue Jays
The Blue Jays had an experiment that looked promising by bringing together several children of high-level players in the past. In the case of Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, a project began to be built around them that promised a lot and that ensured three trips to the postseason in four years. Unfortunately, the team could not take the step forward and today, due to the poor performance of some of its figures, the Blue Jays see themselves quite far from the possibility of returning to that stage.
Given the circumstances and the players they have, Guerrero Jr. should be one of the pieces that will generate the most interest before the trade deadline and given the Yankees’ need for offensive production from first base, he does not escape the realm of the possible that they show interest in the Dominican, if the conditions are met.
It is obvious that Guerrero Jr. understood this and if he wants a real opportunity to play in this year’s postseason, the Yankees are offering it to him more surely than the Blue Jays are at the moment.
Guerrero Jr.’s personal situation with the Blue Jays
Going to salary arbitration with a player will always be complicated for a team, given the nature of the procedure where all the negative things that lead them to not want to pay an amount of money to the player they are facing must be proven. Going through that process with one of the stars of your team must be even more complicated.
Guerrero Jr. won a salary arbitration against Toronto before the start of the season and considering the circumstances, as well as the lack of information about contract extension offers for the first baseman, it appears that player and team are at odds.
The team has always said that contractual extension conversations are always taking place, while Guerrero Jr., in the times he has referred to the subject, has indicated that there has been no formal offer. With only this season and the next under contract for the first baseman, coupled with the Blue Jays’ history of not paying big contracts, it is more than likely that the player’s time with the team is coming to an end. This scenario opens the door for Guerrero Jr. to begin evaluating options for his future, including playing for the Yankees.
Whatever Guerrero Jr.’s ultimate fate and decision, as well as the reasons behind making such a radical change in his stance regarding the Yankees, it’s good to see that one of the best young players in the league has decided to step up and let go of any grudges that do nothing for his career.
