{"id":893551,"date":"2026-09-12T23:40:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T23:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/893551\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T23:40:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T23:40:17","slug":"vladimir-guerrero-jr-is-making-mlbs-lockout-case-for-them-one-boo-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/893551\/","title":{"rendered":"Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is making MLB\u2019s lockout case for them, one boo at a time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Based on how he played Friday night, you\u2019d think Vladimir Guerrero Jr. didn\u2019t get the message that the Toronto Blue Jays <\/a>are still mathematically alive in the AL Wild Card race. But by the time he spoke with reporters following a 7-4 loss to the AL East rival Orioles, it was clear that Guerrero Jr. understood both the magnitude of his poor performance and that the Rogers Centre crowd had officially lost their patience with the six-time All-Star.<\/p>\n

Mired in what is easily the worst season<\/a> of his eight-year career, Guerrero Jr. went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and was back-picked at first base in the first inning. Barely 17 months after signing a 14-year, $500 million extension, Guerrero heard nonstop boos and profanities thrown his way throughout Friday\u2019s loss.<\/p>\n

The Blue Jays dropped to 73-75 and sit two games behind Cleveland for the AL\u2019s final Wild Card spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they want to keep doing it, that\u2019s all [the power] to them,\u201d Guerrero Jr. said<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing personal. I\u2019m not taking it [personally] because they paid [for] the ticket. \u2026 They can do whatever they want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not only can the fans do whatever they want, but the same applies to MLB owners \u2014 and it\u2019d be hard to blame anyone hesitant to hand out a massive deal after seeing Guerrero Jr.\u2019s terrifying regression.<\/p>\n

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is making a lockout far more likely\u00a0<\/p>\n

On one side of the coin, you have to give the Blue Jays credit for being open to meeting Guerrero Jr.\u2019s demands rather than letting him leave for the Dodgers or Mets, both of which had the budget and track record to potentially hand him a similar contract should he hit free agency.<\/p>\n

That said, it\u2019s objectively easy to understand why the league included contract limits in its most recent CBA proposal. We\u2019ve said it before: These mega deals never work<\/a> as intended, and they\u2019re typically only forgivable if the player in question wins a championship. But even if the Blue Jays knocked off the Dodgers last November, we\u2019d still be pointing to this contract as one to potentially avoid replicating because of how uncharacteristic Guerrero Jr. has looked all season.<\/p>\n

For context, consider Guerrero Jr.\u2019s averages from 2021-25 to what he\u2019s done this year:<\/p>\n

Statistic<\/p>\n

2021-25 average<\/p>\n

2026<\/p>\n

bWAR<\/p>\n

4.6<\/p>\n

0.9<\/p>\n

Home runs<\/p>\n

32<\/p>\n

8<\/p>\n

OPS<\/p>\n

.879<\/p>\n

.682<\/p>\n

Walk percentage<\/p>\n

10.5<\/p>\n

9.2<\/p>\n

Strikeout percentage<\/p>\n

14.9<\/p>\n

13.0<\/p>\n

Home run percentage<\/p>\n

4.6<\/p>\n

1.4<\/p>\n

Average exit velocity<\/p>\n

93.2<\/p>\n

90.5<\/p>\n

If Guerrero Jr.\u2019s power drought were the only problem, we wouldn\u2019t be ringing the alarms at full strength. But his exit velocity is significantly down, and his walk rate has plummeted. There are no indications that Guerrero Jr. is hurt, so what gives?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a reason the Tigers\u2019 Kevin McGonigle contract and the Pirates\u2019 Konnor Griffin extension are considered \u201cteam-friendly\u201d deals<\/a>. Both are in their early 20s and, assuming that they don\u2019t sign another extension, will hit free agency before turning 30. Although the Cardinals\u2019 JJ Wetherholt will be 32 when his contract ends, he\u2019s also an older prospect.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not trying to invoke revisionist history; the question isn\u2019t whether they should have signed Guerrero Jr. to such a massive contract. But if you\u2019re an owner outside of the New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles markets, why would you feel comfortable giving a player anything more than seven or eight years at this point?<\/p>\n

Guerrero Jr. has also failed to elevate the Blue Jays from a leadership perspective, which is almost as concerning as the on-field numbers. When you reward someone with that kind of contact, you\u2019re expecting them to be the face of the team and the man who can rally the troops before things get out of hand.<\/p>\n

Instead, you have a player encouraging fans to boo because they\u2019re not happy with the product. Toronto entered Saturday with a “tragic number” of 12, and questions continue to mount<\/a> about John Schneider\u2019s status.<\/p>\n

But at this rate, Blue Jays fans won\u2019t need to worry about booing Guerrero next year \u2014 not unless they plan to partially blame the impending lockout<\/a> on him, of course.<\/p>\n

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