In town for winter tour with Blue Jays, Guerrero says no talks on long-term deal yet

TORONTO – A Q+A session gave the scholars of Humewood Community School an opportunity to place the Toronto Blue Jays on the spot and one lady, sporting a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. T-shirt, took full benefit of the chance.

“What team was the easiest to play this (past) year?” she requested bravely, drawing some laughs from these round her and a drawn-out ooh from the occasion emcee, Sportsnet broadcaster Jamie Campbell.

Adam Cimber, Santiago Espinal, Chris Bassitt, Jordan Romano, Kevin Kiermaier and Guerrero exchanged grins earlier than the slugging first baseman took a mic from interpreter Hector Lebron.

“The Yankees,” he mentioned with a smile, triggering a loud cheer.

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Just as he is aware of his approach round a batter’s field, Guerrero additionally is aware of play to a crowd, leaving the gathered college students with a memorable second. Shortly afterwards, discussing each the varsity go to and being a part of the membership’s Winter Tour with media, he mentioned such alternatives to attach with the neighborhood “mean a lot to me.”

“Back home in the Dominican, through my foundation, I do it also,” he continued. “Coming back to Toronto, with the kids and all of the fans, it’s unbelievable. It’s great.”

So too are his contributions to the Blue Jays, even in a robust 132-OPS+ season in 2022 that may very well be thought of a considerably down-year after his monster 2021. Guerrero centered on constructing power and rising flexibility in the course of the low season and mentioned, “I feel a lot stronger than the last couple of years,” which ought to fear American League pitchers.

If he’s the give-Shohei-Ohtani-a-run-for-his-money-for-MVP model of himself, he simply may carry the Blue Jays to the moon. 

Lurking within the background, nonetheless, particularly at this level of the baseball calendar, is his longer-term baseball future and what appears like a window of alternative to get a significant deal carried out.

While Guerrero is underneath contractual management for 3 extra years and extensions could be signed at any time, maintaining the 23-year-old from the attractive potentialities of free company solely will get more durable the nearer the open market will get.

Guerrero and the Blue Jays averted arbitration final week by agreeing on a $14.5-million wage for 2023 and infrequently, gamers and golf equipment use talks within the run-up as a springboard to exploring bigger-picture potentialities. But, “this year we haven’t had the conversations yet,” mentioned Guerrero. “I’m going to stay focused on working hard and let my team take care of that.”

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Now, nothing must be learn into the timing, because the Blue Jays, contemporary off an lively low season and nonetheless managing the continued renovation of Rogers Centre, have a complete spring coaching to think about and have interaction on a deeper dive.

Still, the baseball market this winter gives each cautionary tales and notable traits that recommend performing earlier than later is sensible.

On the don’t-let-this-happen-to-you entrance, the New York Yankees watched the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres woo and almost pull Aaron Judge in free company earlier than re-signing the famous person for $360 million over 9 years. The Boston Red Sox then watched one famous person depart when Xander Bogaerts accepted $280 million from the Padres earlier than performing to make sure that Rafael Devers, a yr away from free company, by no means will get the prospect with a $313.5 million extension starting in 2024.

On the notable traits entrance, the offers for Judge, Bogaerts and Devers had been a part of the business’s sudden shift into aggressive spending, with 9 of the 40 largest baseball contracts ever handed out over the previous yr. The inflationary strain comes as extra groups push both close to or previous the $233 million Competitive Balance Tax threshold, a growth that elements into a possible deal for Guerrero.

So, there’s time and runway, however there’s additionally not.

Amid the seismic adjustments, the bottom on the Blue Jays additionally shifted on Guerrero this winter when Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., “great friends of mine, great players,” he mentioned, had been traded.

“That’s part of the business. I can’t control that,” Guerrero continued. “It is what it is and on the other hand, I just welcome the new guys and try to make them feel good.”

To that finish, Guerrero feels “speed-wise, we’re going to be faster,” and that “defensively, homers, it’s going to be a more complete team. We’ll see.”

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Before that, Guerrero confirmed that he’ll play for the Dominican Republic within the World Baseball Classic, and he doesn’t anticipate a lot disruption to his buildup in preparing for the mid-March occasion.

“I’m going to be taking at-bats, just like spring training, so I’m going to see it that way,” he defined, “that I’m playing for the Dominican but at the same time I’m getting ready for the season.”

Once there, these Yankees that Guerrero instructed the kids of Humewood about will likely be ready.

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NOTES: Closer Jordan Romano is impressed with the low season adjustments to the Blue Jays roster. “Our defence is going to be as good as ever and as a pitcher, the dimensions (of the outfield wall) are kind of scooted in a little bit, I’m excited to have those guys playing behind me,” he mentioned. … New centre-fielder Kevin Kiermaier is one key motive why the membership must be a lot better defensively. Asked whether or not he nonetheless had containers to test in his rehabilitation from late-summer hip surgical procedure, he mentioned, “I’m there. I feel as good as I’m able to. I go to the facility (in Dunedin) twice a week. I’m running, throwing, hitting. Doing everything. For me, it’s getting on a baseball field more and getting in baseball shape and that’s what everyone works to. You do your off-season workouts and do everything you can for the body, but it’s standing up in cleats for two or three hours at a time, people don’t understand how hard that is. I practice with the University of Tampa and I have a spring training before spring training, so I’ve always been a little ahead of the curve in years past and once again … I’m ready. I can’t wait to show you guys that.” … Right-hander Chris Bassitt, signed to a $63-million, three-year deal, is becoming a member of a brand new staff for the second straight season. In attempting to acclimate to a brand new group, he seeks to construct relationships with “everyone,” he defined. “I’m not trying to blanket that. Just try not to force relationships. Just let them naturally build. Obviously pitching coach, head coach. But all the guys. Spring training comes around, we’re all around each other so much that it makes that pretty easy. We have a long time to get to know each other. I look forward to that.”

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