Vladimir Guerrero Jr Talks Future In Toronto As Days Appear Numbered

After the 2021 Major League Baseball season, it seemed like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would spend his entire career on the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays had finished 91-71, thanks in no small part to Guerrero's exceptional offensive season. At just 22-years-old, Guerrero hit 48 home runs, scored 123, drove in 111 and hit .311/.401/.601, good for 6.3 wins above replacement. Sounds exactly like a franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future, right?

Fast forward to July 2024, and Guerrero is reportedly on the trade block, as the Blue Jays sit in dead last in the American League East at 39-48. After his spectacular 2021, the ensuing seasons were an uphill battle, culminating with just a 1.3 WAR season in 2023.

But through the first half of 2024, Guerrero's recovered significant value on offense. Hitting .296/.375/.467 in a year where offense is down significantly has made him one of the more valuable commodities in the trade market. And he knows it.

Guerrero spoke to the media about his future in Toronto, and seemed resigned to what may come next.

SEATTLE, WA - JULY 10:  Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays poses with the T-Mobile Home Run Derby championship trophy after the the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at T-Mobile Park on Monday, July 10, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Vladimir Guerrero's Days In Toronto Might Be Numbered

Though he has one more year of team control remaining before hitting free agency, Guerrero's one of a few Blue Jays players that could be dealt to a contending team this month. Though at just 25-years-old and part of what was once viewed as a core group of young stars for Toronto, many fans would prefer the team sign him to an extension.

Based on remarks from Guerrero on Friday though, that doesn't seem likely.

"Man, I don't want to leave," he said, according to Scott Mitchell. "I want to stay here all my life. But this is a business."

After saying money isn't a prime motivation, he said "My time is going to come. I don't know if it's soon or not but it's going to come."

Doesn't exactly sound like a player confident that he'll be on the same team come August. 

Guerrero's profile as a player is a tough one to evaluate; on one hand, he's a plus offensive player. On the other, he's likely best suited to be a designated hitter. The bar for offense at DH, or even first base, is exceptionally high. And while he's had solid years after 2021, he's never come close to the 48 homer heights of his peak.

That said, he's so relatively young that it's easy to project improvement in the years to come. But the track record of big bodied hitters in both health and longevity isn't great. 

Simply, he's not the type of player to sign an extension. But he is the type that an offense-starved team would love to have for a year or two. Which is why a trade seems to make sense…if the Blue Jays can find a match, that is.