All Things Vladdy: Debuting Friday the 26th

[SharoneWright]

obligatory placata.

[polo007]

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[rotty]

his body looks good but... the season could possibly start in May. I hope he keeps his weight down.

also its kind of crazy how little they care about covid lol in the locker room they were celebrating

[polo007]

also its kind of crazy how little they care about covid lol in the locker room they were celebrating

vladdyjr27

Tremendous victory today the red BOBO @escogidobbclub thank you dad God for your blessings #godfirst

[polo007]

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[rotty]

I wonder what will happen when Groshans or Martin make it to the majors if Vlad is playing 3rd

[polo007]

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[polo007]

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[polo007]

The Lookahead: It's 'go time' for Jays and Guerrero Jr. needs to prove worth - Sportsnet.ca

Time was already a-wasting for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., even before the Toronto Blue Jays reached an agreement on a six-year, $150-million deal with George Springer that will chew up $25 million per year for the next six seasons. If you’re counting, that’s one year after Junior hits free agency under the current collective bargaining agreement.

Guerrero still holds one of the keys to the 2021 season and, ultimately, Nate Pearson’s ability to be at worst a cost-effective No. 2 starter at some point in the next two or three years would really position this team for a run of extended success. Just think what the world will look like if Pearson has developed into an ace just as Hyun-jin Ryu’s deal runs out. Think of the possibilities.

But I don’t know if this can be put delicately: the acquisition of Springer and whatever other players and pitchers this front office brings in has forced the issue with Vlady Jr. We appear to be in "go time" for the Blue Jays, and nobody knows how exactly the soon-to-be 22-year-old fits into the picture. He’s lost weight and wants to play third base, and while everybody admires his initiative so far, results of his performance at that position in winter ball were mixed – to be charitable – and it sure seems as if the Blue Jays front office, which has been non-committal about Junior at the hot corner, is looking for an infielder who knows his way around third base. The idea of somebody such as Tommy La Stella or Didi Gregorius signing and fitting here and there should Vlady II end up at third – sharing time with Cavan Biggio or freeing him up to be a true utility player – is a possibility. But what if Guerrero ends up at first base? How is that going to work out with Rowdy Tellez, even if the Blue Jays do trade one or two of the outfielders made surplus to requirements by Springer’s signing?

Guerrero appeared in every Blue Jays game in 2020. They made the playoffs. But that was just 60 games – not 162 – and Guerrero was 120th in the majors in WAR at 0.2. Yeah, small sample size and all that. Still, there were nine similarly small-sample-sized Blue Jays ahead of him in the category – five ahead of him in offensive WAR. I mean, I’m being polite, here. I’m not even mentioning that it’s no longer outrageous to expect somebody who was the game's top prospect to hit the majors running. Not everybody is the same. Not everybody matures at the same rate. But the fact is that players such as Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Ronald Acuna were all raking at that age. That’s his peer group, like it or not. Also a fact? The idea that the Blue Jays would at some point be Vlady Jr.’s, team is no longer a given. He’s not even the second in command to Springer. That would be Bo Bichette.

Considering the way the Blue Jays have openly said they’re aware of Bichette’s sensibilities when it comes to adding a potential free agent who could play shortstop, considering the depth of commitment I’m told they have to Biggio and considering they don’t know yet what Vlady Jr. is, it’s pretty clear that 2021 would be a good time for him to start making an impression on the field.

[polo007]

[Duffman100]

Cmon... I've held onto him for 3 years in a keeper league and he's been okay, but I need him to take the next level.

Oh wait... jays need that too.

[polo007]

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[dagger]

If the team and Vladdy are thinking about an extension, here is some food for thought

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[polo007]

Toronto Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins sees many benefits to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s weight loss - TSN.ca

DUNEDIN, Fla. — General manager Ross Atkins can't wait to see slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s busy off-season translate on the baseball field this year for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Guerrero spent a lot of his time shedding weight, certainly looking fit and fit and trim in pictures posted on his Instagram account. The 21-year-old has reportedly dropped 40 pounds from last season.

That certainly bodes well for the Blue Jays, who have pitchers and catchers arriving at camp this week. The team's first full-squad workout is set for Monday.

"It's incredible to see the smile on his face, the shape he's in, how his routine has developed and how it's become his own," Atkins said of Guerrero on Friday during a Zoom call with reporters. "Every day this off-season he's got better, he looks great, he's in a really good position."

"I'm really excited to see how that's going to impact every aspect of his game this year."

The six-foot-two Guerrero, whose weight is listed at 250 pounds, had nine home runs and 33 runs batted in last year while appearing in all 60 of Toronto's games. The Jays posted a 32-28 record in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season to secure the eighth and final spot in the expanded American League playoffs before losing to Tampa Bay.

"Vladdy is special," Atkins said. "What he's able to do with his athleticism when he's maximizing it and his swing are really fun to watch."

Atkins can see Guerrero's off-season work paying off in 2021.

"If you think about the reps it takes and how many swings they (hitters) will take before they get into a batter's box . . . so much of it is about the athleticism that you can repeat," he said. "So the better shape you're in, the more repeatable things are going to be because you're able to repeat them more in your practice.

"Hitting is in some ways, and I think, is harder to evaluate, assess and project and predict or study than pitching because it's so dynamic and you don't know what the hitter's thinking. You always know what they (pitchers) were trying to do, based on the outcome, where the catcher is set up . . . but with a hitter you don't."

The expectation is Guerrero will see time at third base during spring training. He was used exclusively at first and as a designated hitter last year.

[Lateral Quicks]

It's hard to lose weight without losing some muscle along the way, though it's easier when you're carrying around a lot of extra pounds like Vladdy. Hopefully he's maintained or even augmented his muscle mass while shedding the fat.

[bluerap23]

If the team and Vladdy are thinking about an extension, here is some food for thought

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Pass

[polo007]

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[The mentalist]

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I'm expecting no less than 30 homers this year!

[polo007]

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[Hoopstarr]

The Vladdy weight loss stuff is reminding me of this