Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has changed his stance on possibly playing for the Yankees in the future
5 days ago
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has seemingly switched his tune about playing for the Yankees.
At the end of the 2022 season, Guerrero Jr. spoke with Vincent Carmona Arias, saying that while he likes to play in New York, he “likes to kill Yankees” and he’d never sign with them, even if he was dead.
Fast forward a year and a half, and it appears that the Toronto Blue Jays’ first baseman has changed his mind. Prior to Monday’s game against the Boston Red Sox, he was interviewed by Omar Guzmán of Virus Deportivo, noting that if he happens to be traded/signed with the Yankees, he’ll go out and do his job.
The comments post-2022 made sense, as the first baseman finished that season slashing .274/.339/.480 with 32 home runs in 706 plate appearances, along with a 133 wRC+, the second best of his career aside from his fantastic 2021 season.
However, Guerrero Jr. had one of his worst seasons to date in 2023, slashing .264/.345/.444 with 26 homers in 682 plate appearances for a 118 wRC+ and a 1.3 fWAR. Aside from his rookie and sophomore seasons, the 2023 season was Guerrero Jr.’s worst to date.
That could’ve been in part due to injury, as Guerrero Jr. himself noted that he was injured throughout the 2023 season, but he rebounded nicely so far in 2024. Through nearly the first half of the season, Guerrero Jr. is slashing .288/.368/.435 with 10 homers in 345 plate appearances, along with an 11 BB% and a 16.8 K% for a 1.3 fWAR and a 132 wRC+.
The question is, what will happen to Guerrero Jr. in the future? It’s safe to say he’s going to be a regular All-Star throughout his career, even if he doesn’t live up to the “generational” label he was given as a prospect. In February, Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reported Guerrero Jr. saying:
“I would love to stay here, I am already nine years old and I would like to stay for my entire career, but this is business”, while also noting that he had not received an offer from the Jays.
While it’s hard to pin down Guerrero Jr.’s exact value due to playing first base and his inconsistency throughout the seasons, he’s the face of the franchise and needs to be re-signed. If he is traded, he cannot be traded to the Yankees.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.
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