Vlad Jr.

[Vanimal46]

I hope he debuts in Minneapolis, but at this point, with that team, I'm guessing they don't rush him back to debut on the road in the cold. The Jays next series after that is in Oakland, and then they return home the following week.

I mean, he's playing in Buffalo of all places right now. That's cold too! If Denny Green taught us anything it's weather patterns in Buffalo.

 

"Bring in the Calcutta clipper... Swings down, swings up. Lake front influence, and out."

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I mean, he's playing in Buffalo of all places right now. That's cold too! If Denny Green taught us anything it's weather patterns in Buffalo.

"Bring in the Calcutta clipper... Swings down, swings up. Lake front influence, and out."

Buffalo will be on the road in Pawtucket while the Jays are in Minneapolis, so it's a little warmer there.

 

When they return to Buffalo, the Jays will be in Oakland.

 

Then after that, the Jays are back home in Toronto.

[Brock Beauchamp]

As good as this kid may be, he'll never be as entertaining to watch as ol' dad.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUErJ5zcwYo

[ashbury]

As good as this kid may be, he'll never be as entertaining to watch as ol' dad.

That last 100% real, not-at-all fake clip is almost too good to be true.

[Vanimal46]

As good as this kid may be, he'll never be as entertaining to watch as ol' dad.

Man he may have had the best hand eye coordination ever for a baseball player.

[jkcarew]

Junior can't possibly have the arm dad had. Because that isn't possible.

[Otto von Ballpark]

This fan blog makes the case that they could call him up to debut on the road:

 

https://calltothepen.com/2019/04/14/toronto-blue-jays-vladimir-guerrero-jr-still-in-aaa-even-with-the-extra-year-of-control/

 

It would also certainly help drive ticket sales back in Toronto if Vladdy began his career on the road. Everyone would know that his exact first game in the Rogers Centre would be on April 23, and I can imagine that this game would be packed to the retractable roof to see his first home game.

But it seems like time is running out on a Minneapolis debut...

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Man he may have had the best hand eye coordination ever for a baseball player.

I was sitting in a bar in Long Beach when he hit that bouncing ball and just started cackling for like five minutes.

 

Vlad is perhaps the most entertaining ballplayer I ever had the privilege to watch play.

[biggentleben]

 

This fan blog makes the case that they could call him up to debut on the road:

https://calltothepen.com/2019/04/14/toronto-blue-jays-vladimir-guerrero-jr-still-in-aaa-even-with-the-extra-year-of-control/


But it seems like time is running out on a Minneapolis debut...

 

'tis my old editorial grounds....

[Vanimal46]

 

Vlad Jr. hits another baseball out of the stadium yesterday. It's almost like AAA is below his ability...

[Otto von Ballpark]

Vlad Jr. hits another baseball out of the stadium yesterday. It's almost like AAA is below his ability...

So you're saying he doesn't belong in Toronto either? *rimshot in the alternate universe where the Twins swept the series this week*

[Otto von Ballpark]

Well, he's not coming up for the Toronto series in Oakland this weekend either.

 

If I was a Jays fan, I'd be getting upset. No, the Jays don't have much of a chance of winning the division this year, but they could have a good season. They've got a few good players in the lineup, in the rotation, and probably even in the bullpen.

 

Yet they basically salary dumped Kevin Pillar over $5.8 mil, and now they're still sitting on Vlad Jr. for no apparent benefit, all while they still have a black hole like Brandon Drury in their everyday lineup.

[Vanimal46]

The only reason to hold him back now is Super-2 status, right? We're several days past the cut off for gaining an extra year of control on him.

 

That will be really lame if they hold him down until June. And probably cause for a lawsuit filed against the Blue Jays for keeping him down in AAA.

[nicksaviking]

 

The only reason to hold him back now is Super-2 status, right? We're several days past the cut off for gaining an extra year of control on him.

That will be really lame if they hold him down until June. And probably cause for a lawsuit filed against the Blue Jays for keeping him down in AAA.

 

I think it might be great in that it would perhaps be the most obviously repulsive salary manipulation yet. It would be so obviously obscene that it just might be the straw that broke the owners' back.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I think it might be great in that it would perhaps be the most obviously repulsive salary manipulation yet. It would be so obviously obscene that it just might be the straw that broke the owners' back.

 

I doubt it. The owners clearly have the players by the #$^@#s right now. And, there are still millions of fans that think players are greedy, and owners need flexibility. Heck, we have them right here on this board.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

The only reason to hold him back now is Super-2 status, right? We're several days past the cut off for gaining an extra year of control on him.

That will be really lame if they hold him down until June. And probably cause for a lawsuit filed against the Blue Jays for keeping him down in AAA.

Yup, April 12th was the cut off for the extra year of control. He was just activated to AAA the day before that, so i can understand not being *too* aggressive there.

 

I can't imagine they will hold him back until June just for Super-2. Then why would they have promoted him so aggressively last year?

 

They have an off day Monday and they come back home to Toronto on Tuesday. I'd have him up already, but I guess it's not unreasonable to wait until Tuesday, at this point. Hopefully we'll hear it announced after their game on Sunday.

 

Edit to add: I may just be bitter about not getting to see him in Minneapolis this week and *still* losing 3 of 4 games...

[Respy]

I think the Blue Jays were planning on keeping him down the first few weeks of the season, to which I would have cried manipulation. But Guerrero legitimately had an oblique strain (granted, only a Grade 1) which happened on March 8th. So in the team's defense, MLB's Health and Injury Tracking System study suggests that 27 days is normal for a grade 1 oblique strain. Add a week or two for rehab stints, maybe an extra week since it's the beginning of the season and he might be extra rusty, and that brings us to today. He'll be called up within the next week.

[Vanimal46]

The oblique strain was pretty convenient to keep him down until the cut off date... And the excuse of him needing to field better.

 

He may have had 1 game of rust... At AAA in 20 PAs he's batting .412 with a 1.324 OPS, including 2 moon shot HRs that left the stadium. Something's fishy.

[Respy]

The first week at A level he hit .686 OPS with no HR's. 

 

Yes, clearly he's ready now after a good week at AAA.

 

I think if he actually wasn't injured, his agent would be having a fit and we'd know about it. Apparently MLBPA said they were closely monitoring Vlad, and that was before the injury.

[Otto von Ballpark]

There's a rumor that he's coming up for Tuesday's game:

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/yet-another-report-suggests-vladimir-guerrero-jr-will-debut-tuesday-163035832.html

 

I don't know why they wouldn't just announce it now, though. Sell those tickets!

[Vanimal46]

He's finally getting the call up on Friday per Jon Heyman on Twitter.

[Mike Sixel]

good luck to him and the Jays! Wishing Lewis or Kiriloff were on this kind of track....

[Mr. Brooks]

good luck to him and the Jays! Wishing Lewis or Kiriloff were on this kind of track....

Kiriloff has 650 less milb plate appearances than Vlad does. I can see a case where he gets here in less plate appearances than Vlad did.

[ashbury]

good luck to him and the Jays! Wishing Lewis or Kiriloff were on this kind of track....

Yeah, I was so mad when the Twins put Kirilloff on the TJS track instead. What were they thinking?

[Mike Sixel]

Yeah, I was so mad when the Twins put Kirilloff on the TJS track instead. What were they thinking?

No place did I blame the team. I lamented we aren't getting the same thing. Nothing more, nothing less.

[ashbury]

No place did I blame the team. I lamented we aren't getting the same thing. Nothing more, nothing less.

There was more than the lament since you went to the trouble of naming two players as comps. It left your point very unclear.

 

In any case, I'd like the same thing too. But I don't see the purpose in bringing up Kirilloff in particular, since he lost a year to surgery. And even Lewis isn't a good comp - it's not like the Twins allow someone with numbers like Vlad's to languish in the low minors, because few prospects put up those kinds of numbers period.

 

Vlad has rewarded his organization with better batting performance at every level than Royce Lewis has. That's OK, since Lewis brings huge potential value as a middle infielder. But Vlad got promoted when it became clear his bat was too good for his league, with OPS in the .900 range each time, and Lewis has moved up too when his OPS was above .800. Lewis is also a few months younger than Vlad - he's not older and languishing.

 

Again, you brought up the two Twins prospects. You can't expect to not get a reaction.

[Mike Sixel]

There was more than the lament since you went to the trouble of naming two players as comps. It left your point very unclear.

 

In any case, I'd like the same thing too. But I don't see the purpose in bringing up Kirilloff in particular, since he lost a year to surgery. And even Lewis isn't a good comp - it's not like the Twins allow someone with numbers like Vlad's to languish in the low minors, because few prospects put up those kinds of numbers period.

 

Vlad has rewarded his organization with better batting performance at every level than Royce Lewis has. That's OK, since Lewis brings huge potential value as a middle infielder. But Vlad got promoted when it became clear his bat was too good for his league, with OPS in the .900 range each time, and Lewis has moved up too when his OPS was above .800. Lewis is also a few months younger than Vlad - he's not older and languishing.

 

Again, you brought up the two Twins prospects. You can't expect to not get a reaction.

They are the only two that might be great players like him. That was kind of the point. All I said was I wish we got the same thing. You can try to read more of you want, but there is no more. I wish we could have a great young player come up and generate real excitement.

[Mike Sixel]

Free game of the day on at bat. Probably not getting that next twins debut....

[biggentleben]

Interesting that one of the best young prospects in the game makes his debut tonight for the former Expos as well as Carter Kieboom has come up.

 

He'll potentially bump Brian Dozier from the lineup when Trea Turner returns.

[gunnarthor]

Vlad had 1261 milb PA before getting called up. Interestingly (and surprising) Joe Mauer had fewer milb PA before getting called up. As did Byron Buxton.