Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a potential trade deadline candidate, continues tear vs. Yankees
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a potential trade deadline candidate, continues tear vs. Yankees
Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued his recent tear on Saturday afternoon as part of Toronto's blowout 9-3 victory (box score) against the New York Yankees. Guerrero went 3-for-5 with six runs batted in courtesy of a two-run home run and a bases-loaded double. (He also singled in a run.)
Here's a look at Guerrero's home run, his 13th of the season. It came in the first inning against Nestor Cortes and recorded an exit velocity of 106.5 mph and traveled 403 feet.
Guerrero, 25, entered Saturday hitting .291/.369/.456 (136 OPS+) with 12 home runs and 44 runs batted in. He's been particularly productive as of late. In his last six games, he's 14-for-29 with five home runs, five doubles, and 19 RBI.
His hot streak is coming at a good time, as it coincides with the start of trade season. It's unclear if the Blue Jays, who entered Saturday with a 37-44 record and a 7 1/2 game deficit in the American League wild-card race, will make Guerrero and other veterans available ahead of the July 30 deadline. Doing so would make some sense, however, given that Guerrero is slated to qualify for free agency following the 2025 season.
Coincidentally, Guerrero's offensive barrage has included three strong showings against the Yankees, a team currently without their starting first baseman and DH. Guerrero, who once said he would never play for the Yankees, recently offered a revised stance on that issue.
"I'm a worker, professional, and I go out on the field and play," Guerrero said. "... 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. 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."
Of course, even if the Blue Jays do listen to offers on Guerrero, they might find it difficult to stomach trading him within the division and/or to the Yankees. As such, Guerrero's past comments are likely to remain a moot issue at this point in time.