National Post (National Edition)
Montoyo plans to have Vlad bat sixth, then work his way up
Manager looks at it as player development
Charlie Montoyo has been so busy with the logistics of training camp that he has had little opportunity to watch baseball’s undisputed top prospect take batting practice.
He’s heard the stories, however, and that time will come soon for the first-year Blue Jays manager, who is already pondering how he will use 19-year-old Vlad Guerrero Jr. when he graduates to the main roster, likely some time in April.
His first hunch?
Start the big son of a hallof-famer sixth in the order, get him settled and then move him way up.
“It’s always easier to move someone up in the order than down if for some reason he struggles at the start,” Montoyo said on Thursday as he watched some live batting practice at the Bobby Mattick Training Center.
“From everything you hear, he’s a guy who will be in the top of the order and we all know that’s where he’s going to be at some point.”
Montoyo stressed that there’s some water to cross under the Vlad bridge before then, including getting some pre-season action against live pitching. Then there’s the little business of being officially added to the roster, a call that is in the hands of team president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins.
Any decision will be made in consultation with his coaching staff, but for now Montoyo favours hitting Guerrero sixth to start and then working his way up quickly after that, assuming performance merits the advancement.
“I look at it as a player development thing,” said Montoyo, who acknowledged Guerrero will get some game action when Grapefruit League play gets underway this weekend.
“You want him to be comfortable.”
Guerrero will see plenty of action this spring — as will several of the Jays top young prospects — as Montoyo said he wants to get them in as many games as possible.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing them all, let’s see what they can do,” Montoyo said.
VLAD SHOW
By all accounts, Guerrero is fitting in rather well with his new team and he’s already being treated as one of the guys.
During batting practice on Thursday, veteran first baseman Justin Smoak had some playful chirps for Guerrero before he entered the cage.
The kid responded with a towering home run into the wind and some 40 feet over the wall in deep centre of one of the practice fields.
Overall, Atkins sounded pleased with Guerrero’s transition into his first major league camp.
“Vladdy has done nothing but impress us with his continued desire to be the best player he can possibly be and has transitioned very well,” Atkins said. “He’s got work to do, just continuing to refine the agility, continuing to refine the third base play.
“This is going to be really, really good exposure and development for him facing major league pitching, albeit not stretched out and seven innings of a major-league starter. Seeing that sort of stuff will be good for him as well.”
SANCHEZ CLOSE UP
With Aaron Sanchez throwing a live bullpen session out at the Mattick complex, Montoyo wanted to get a front-row view of the right-hander’s action, so he stepped in the batter’s box. But not for long.
“I wanted to just see what it looked like,” Montoyo said.
“He looked really good so I said ‘I’m out.’ I don’t want to get hit and be on the front page. “He had some movement and it was fun to watch.”
FOUR FOR THE FIELD
Though the Grapefruit League action doesn’t get underway until Saturday, the Jays already are eyeing a four-man outfield, according to Atkins.
Kevin Pillar in centre and Randal Grichuk in right would be the mainstays, with Teoscar Hernandez and Billy Mckinney platooning in left.
“Grichuk and Pillar have more established track records, but being open to different configurations and different ways and matchups will be a strength of this major league staff and that will influence the playing time of all of those individuals,” said Atkins.
With those four ahead of him and young players busting up behind him, it doesn’t sound good for Canadian Dalton Pompey.
“To deal with injuries and not meeting expectations of his own, to not meet expectations of fans (I) can understand how frustrating it is,” Atkins said. “What we’ve tried to focus on with Dalton is just his routines and work ethic and focusing on very small things that he can control and see if he can turn doubles into home runs.”
WE ALL KNOW THAT’S WHERE HE’S GOING TO BE AT SOME POINT.
START ’EM UP
So far, so good in Atkins’ mind for rotation additions Clayton Richard and Matt Shoemaker.
For starters, both appear recovered from injuries that limited them last season.
But Atkins likes the reports on their action as well.
“They look great,” Atkins said. “Their stuff looks crisp. It looks like what we were hoping for and what we were hoping to see.”
AROUND THE BASES
Montoyo said secondyear lefty Ryan Borucki will get the start for Saturday’s opener of the exhibition season, a home date against Detroit. Sean Reid-foley will get the ball for Sunday’s contest against Baltimore down in Sarasota. A lat strain will keep pitching prospect T.J. Zeuch out of action all spring. With free agents still flooding the market, Atkins acknowledged he’s still looking to add pitching help, most likely depth for the bullpen.