Nearly a year and a half ago, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said he would never sign for one of his team’s arch rivals.
The son of the Hall of Famer said he would never strike a deal to play for the New York Yankees, “not even [when I’m] dead.”
A few months later, he reiterated his stance, saying it was “a personal thing” that “goes back with my family.”
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on June 24, 2024, in Boston. (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
But with the Blue Jays struggling and the trade deadline looming, it seems that the three-time All-Star has had a change of heart.
“I’m a worker, professional, and I go out on the field and play. … Sometimes you say things. It’s not that I am trying to take back what I said about the Yankees, what do I say, I don’t hold back what I said about the Yankees, but this is a business,” Guerrero said to a Spanish-speaking outlet Monday at Fenway Park in Boston. “I sat down and spoke with my dad and my family, and this is a business. … Like I tell you, I’m a player, and if a team picks me or if they do something, it’s because they need it, obviously, and I’ll be happy to help any team. But right now, I’m just focused on helping my team try to get out of this bad streak.”
Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gestures as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning against the Mariners in Seattle on July 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Caean Couto)
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It’s not known what instance Vlad Jr. was referencing about his “family,” but it seems somewhat obvious it has to do with his father, who played for the Expos, Angels, Rangers and Orioles.
Guerrero and other members of the Jays have a clear disdain for the Yanks. At a fan fest ahead of the 2023 season, Guerrero said the Yankees were the “easiest” team to play the season prior; New York had won 99 games and the division.
Meanwhile, in 2022, Alek Manoah once called Gerrit Cole the biggest cheater in baseball due to his involvement with sticky stuff; Manoah saw time in the minor leagues last season while Cole won the AL Cy Young Award, post-substance crackdown.
The Yanks could certainly use a guy like Guerrero. Yankees first basemen have combined to hit .236 with a .644 OPS, the latter of which is the sixth-worst mark in baseball. Those numbers include Anthony Rizzo, who struggled before going down with a broken arm.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays points to fans prior to a game against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre in Toronto on May 16, 2023. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
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Despite falling off since his second-place MVP finish in 2021, he is still hitting .286 with a .796 OPS this season, which would be a massive improvement.
The Jays are 35-43, which is last in the AL East, so perhaps they could make lots of moves ahead of the deadline.
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