A little longer
The Vladdy era won’t begin until at least mid-April as Jays play service-time game
DUNEDIN, Fla. — He is universally proclaimed as the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball and one destined to follow along the path of his Hall of Fame father.
So, is Vlad Guerrero Jr. ready for the big leagues?
“We’ll see how spring training progresses,” was Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins’ half-cautious, halfinsulting response as camp opened for real on Thursday morning at Dunedin Stadium. “Spring training is a piece of his development.
“There’s no firm timeline on when he arrives and when he plays in Toronto for the first time, but we want to make sure he’s the best possible third baseman and the best possible hitter he can be. This is going to be a fun and exciting time for him and a fun and exciting time for the organization.”
In other words, the Jays have zero intention of having the soon-to-be 20-year-old future star in the lineup on opening day. The priority clearly remains to manipulate Guerrero’s service time so that they have him under control for as long as seven seasons, meaning a mid-April debut is the most likely scenario.
The suggestion that Guerrero isn’t ready to hit major-league hitting is considered absurd by many longtime observers of the sport and not just because he has had incredible success in the minor leagues.
Guerrero is such a natural at the plate, blessed with his father’s power and skill as well as a savvy eye that has helped him dominate pitchers at every level of pro ball. During four Grapefruit League appearances last spring, Guerrero had some success, further heightening his lofty projections.
But even though attendance at the Rogers Centre will surely continue its slide this spring and the likelihood that the Jays will be a hard sell on radio and television with the potential deep spring playoff runs for the Maple Leafs and Raptors, off to Buffalo Vlad will go.
Atkins has essentially been defiant about the motives, however, remaining adamant that there is still work to be done.
“We think about how the player gets better,” Atkins said. “Everyone’s aware of timelines and the rules of the game. We’re just going to focus on how we put the best team together and how we help Vladdy become a better player. “He continues to make strides. He’s obviously very strong and extremely physical, one of the stronger individuals in our system. The work to stay agile and to keep him at third base as long as possible is the biggest challenge and he continues to make progress there.”
With the philosophy on Guerrero’s development unchanged, Atkins acknowledged that veteran infielder Brandon Drury, who was acquired in the J.A. Happ deal to the Yankees last July, is likely to begin the season at third base.
Though he’s yet to check into the Jays facility, Guerrero is already here in the Dunedin area preparing for his first full, big-league camp. Position players have medicals scheduled for Sunday with the first full-squad workouts slated for the following day.
And everything is in place for the 6-foot-1, 200 pounder. He has a locker, he has a Spanish-speaking manager and the coach who has spent more time with him than anyone — former New Hampshire and Dunedin skipper John Schneider — is part of the big-league staff.
When Monday arrives, Guerrero will instantly vault to one of the top stories in all of baseball and first-year Jays manager Charlie Montoyo is ready for the full-on Vlad experience. In late January, he visited Guerrero in the Dominican and by all accounts, has a solid working relationship with the big kid.
“It’s all about developing,” Montoyo said. “He’s going to compete, just like everybody else. The one thing with Vlad, I’m going to watch him play.”
Subtly acknowledging what has become obvious, Montoyo said he has every confidence in Buffalo Bisons manager Bobby Meacham, who will oversee Guerrero’s first steps of 2019.
“I’ve got Bobby Meacham down there, who I trust,” Montoyo said. “I am going to communicate with him and we are going to go from there.”
Give Atkins and his management team credit for one thing, at least: They have been unwavering in their position on Guerrero’s bigleague start time. Never mind a hungry fan base stripped of most of its star power over the past year, or the fact that the youthful squad could use a leader, the arrival of the young man who could instantly become the team’s top hitter will have to wait.
“He’s 19 years old,” Atkins said of the Montreal-born, Dominican-raised Guerrero. “He’s handled the expectations of competing at the highest level and being very good at that and the expectations that are placed on him. I’m just blown away at how well he’s handled them.”
There’s little doubt he’ll handle the next and biggest challenge as well. In fact, there are few in baseball who don’t believe he’s already capable of swatting that aside with the ease he knocks a baseball around a park.