Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on playing with the Blue Jays: “I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here all my life”
3 days ago
When is this team going to get off their butts and re-sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?
On Thursday evening, Guerrero Jr. was asked once again about his future with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to TSN’s Scott Mitchell.
This is what he said:
“Man, I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here all my life. But this is business.”
For years now, this is what Guerrero Jr. has said; he wants to be a Blue Jay for life. However, he recently tracked back his comments about potentially playing for the Yankees, saying it’s his job and he’s professional, similar to what he said about playing for the Jays.
It’s hard to pin down Guerrero Jr.’s exact value. His first two seasons in the big leagues were above average, but not the generational talent he was promised to be. The 2021 season was the best of his career, finishing the season slashing .311/.401/.601 with 48 homers in 698 plate appearances for a 166 wRC+ and a 6.3 fWAR.
However, he declined in 2022, slashing .274/.339/.480 with 32 homers in 706 plate appearances for a 133 wRC+ and a 3.4 fWAR. The decline continued in 2023, as he slashed .264/.345/.444 with 26 homers in 682 plate appearances for a 118 wRC+ and a 1.3 fWAR last season.
It looks as if Guerrero Jr. is back on track though. So far in 2024, the 25-year-old first baseman is slashing .296/.375/.467 with 13 homers in 376 plate appearances, along with a 142 wRC+ and a 1.9 fWAR.
Since April 28, Guerrero Jr. is slashing .339/.406/.536 with 10 homers in 249 plate appearances, along with a 9.6 BB% and a 13.3 K% for a 169 wRC+. He’s been one of the league’s best hitters this season, and made the All-Star starting lineup for the third time in his career.
It’s clear that the star player would like to remain as a Blue Jay, so why haven’t the Blue Jays brass re-signed him? Guerrero Jr. is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, so the clock is ticking.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.
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