On Monday night, the Toronto Blue Jays lost their seventh game in a row after blowing a 6-2 lead.
Now at 35-43, they sit at the bottom of the AL East and are 7.5 games out of a wild-card spot. Only the Angels, Athletics, and White Sox are further behind in the race. With the trade deadline approaching, tough decisions loom for the Blue Jays on whether to trade key players like Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who recently returned from injury.
Two years ago, Vlad Jr. said he would never play for the Yankees—”Not even (when I’m) dead,” he declared—and he reaffirmed this last April. “It goes back with my family,” Guerrero said about not wanting to play for New York. “That’s my decision, and I will never change that.”
But things change. Before Monday’s game, Guerrero softened his stance while talking to Virus Deportivo:
If I get traded to #Yankees I will do my job and try to help that team or any team to win. I’m a professional and love this game #VladimirGuerreroJr told Omar from Virus Deportivo
— Mike Rodriguez (@mikedeportes)
“I’m a worker,” Guerrero explained. “… Sometimes you say things—it’s not that I’m taking back what I said about the Yankees—but this is a business.” He talked it over with his dad and family and realized that if he’s traded, it’s because he’s needed somewhere else.
Trade Deadline Dilemmas:
Fans might think it’s crazy to imagine Vlad Jr. in pinstripes! The Yankees recently lost Anthony Rizzo due to a broken arm (and he wasn’t playing well before getting hurt). Rookie Ben Rice has been filling in nicely but upgrading first base is likely on their shopping list.
Guerrero is hitting .286/.368/.429 with 10 home runs this season; in his last 50 games alone he’s batting .328/.396/.482. The Yankees’ first basemen have only managed a .236/.301/.343 line this year—swapping them out for Vlad Jr.? Major upgrade! But don’t hold your breath; trades like these rarely happen.
Despite their struggles at first base, the Yankees are still leading the AL East with a record of 52-28 but have lost seven of their last ten games They kick off a two-game Subway Series against the Mets on Tuesday.
What do you think about all these changes? Would you want Vlad Jr. on your team?
