We knew this moment would come. We just didn’t know it would happen this soon. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will make first base his primary position moving forward, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (via Twitter).
After one full season at third base, the 21-year-old power phenom will focus his attentions on becoming a primary first baseman and designated hitter. Vlad committed 17 errors in 94 starts at the hot corner in 2019. The advanced metrics didn’t care much for his effort either (-9 DRS, -9.4 UZR). Statcast’s Outs Above Average pegged Vlad last in the league (tied with the Twins’ Jorge Polanco) with -16 OAA.
Offensively, there’s little doubt that Vlad Jr. has one of the most prodigious power strokes in the game, even at such a young age, and this move allows him to focus on what he does best. Vlad Jr. stroked 15 home runs over 514 plate appearances while slashing .272/.339/.433 as a 20-year-old. The move across the diamond was an eventuality, and in some ways, it makes sense to make the move as soon as possible rather than spend development time at a position without a long-term future. It’s certainly possible Guerrero Jr. ends up as a primary designated hitter, but he’ll try his hand at first in 2020.
With Vlad Jr. shifting over to first, Travis Shaw expects to get most of the playing time at third, per Nicholson-Smith. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hasn’t played any third, but the infielder/outfielder could presumably pick it up, while second baseman Cavan Biggio played a little bit at the hot corner in Triple-A. Breyvic Valera is also capable of handling third.
Shaw, signed as a free agent, is coming off a bizarrely disappointing showing in 2019 as he hit just .157/.281/.270 across 270 plate appearances with the Brewers. That allowed the Blue Jays to snag him on the cheap, as they’ll hope he rebounds to something closer to his career line of .243/.327/.451.
How and why did we know that this would happen? I probably missed something sry.
He’s a big boy with not a lot of lateral movement.
It’s literally been thrown around since he became a top prospect.
What do you mean? He’s been a 3rd basemen his entire pro career
Lots of MLB players played the premium positions (SS, 3B, and CF) during their amateur and minor league careers but that doesn’t mean that’s where scouts predicted them to play in the majors. Vlad was always projected to eventually fill out and move to 1B/DH like Miguel Cabrera and others have had to.
MLB Pipeline 2017, the first year he was appearaing on top 100 prospect boards, and first professional season: “However, retaining his athleticism without becoming too bulky could pose as a challenge for Guerrero moving forward, and possibly portend a move to the outfield or first base.”
MLB Pipeline 2016, the first year he was appearing on any prospect boards: “However, he’s also a well below-average runner who lacks the range and arm strength for the position, and some scouts believe he’ll have to move to first base in the future.”
Everyone knew his final position was going to be first base. It was only a matter of when.
I guess you nor the writing of that 2016 post watched Vlad play closely. He has a rocket arm. An absolute missile. Arm strength is certainly not a problem. That is one of a few reasons why he was given a real shot at 3B. That and he was signed as a 3B which was one of the reasons he signed with Toronto; they promised to give him a shot there.
The best arm in the world won’t help you if you butcher too many plays, which he did. They gave him nearly a full season and he was a terrible field.er.
He played OF growing up and there is an article I read saying he considers himself a converted OFer.
Obviously you missed the point as the scout was wrong about Vlad’s arm strength.
Nobody is questioning how bad he was at 3B. His play and the numbers prove it.
And generally struggled at it.
Exactly, Hanley Eamirez is one, Miggy another, even Jim Thome started as a SS and then 3B before bumping over to 1B and eventually DH. But to be 21 and already so limited physically where they can put you is not good.
Arm was never a problem! The guy has been clocked a 94mph
I tried to tell them Joey
Haha probably Shaw opening his mouth earlier today.
Where’s Téllez going to now?
Hopefully nowhere
He will get some pt at first when Vladdy is DH or needs a day off.
He actually had an OPS .830 against lefties, so I’m think8ng Vlad hits DH against lefties and Tellez plays first.
DH and the buffet line.
Somebody put this kid on a diet
Worked real well for PrinceFielder, right? Leave him alone.
Vladdy is a bit chunky. Prince was just fat.
Give vladdy time lol. He’s only 20
Prince was always big and actually had some speed when he got going.
If you follow the diet it works.
Probably the best move to get more wins.
Baseball Reference says he hit 15 homeruns last year in the majors…..
But it’s 27 HRs in spirit.
It’s 27 home runs per OOTP 21 simulations for a non Covid 2020.
YES!
Colour me shocked. As a Jays fan, I didn’t think this day would come this early, but it was gonna happen. At least now Groshans and Martinez have a clear path.
That’s 2-3 years away and Groshans had some serious foot problems last year. Martinez is over 3 years away.
Martinez? Do you mean Martin? Did he change his name and I didn’t notice?
No. Orelvis Martinez. 18 years old, currently a SS, over .900 OPS in Bluefield Rookie League. Still a long way away.
Martinez… I see. Missed the watch on an Orelvis in the system. Wouldn’t have known there was an Elvis or an Orelvis in the system if not for this enlightenment.
Orelvis? His name comes from his father’s indecision regarding wardrobe for a costume party.
I hope Elvis Luciano becomes a solid reliever, would be awesome if the Jays have an Elvis and an Orelvis on the same 25-man roster.
No! You have to choose. You can have an Elvis or an Orelvis but not both!
What would you rather see, Elvis or Orelvis? You can have an Elvis and an Andelvis on the same team but not Elvis and Orelvis.
Martin or Biggio are probably more likely.
Bichette isn’t a lock to stick at SS. If he eventually moves to 2B, Biggio will need a new position, or move into a utility role.
Toronto’s infield depth is enviable.
Shaw and another short term option until Grisham’s is ready. Biggio, Gurriel stay right where they are and where they belong. 3B are not difficult to find.
Groshans. Stupid autocorrect.
Third basemen aren’t difficult to find?
Well, bad third basemen aren’t hard to find. But good ones? Have you seen who’s available via free agency next offseason? Did you see who was available last offseason?
Groshans is at least 2 years out and more likely 3. Toronto probably intends to contend before then and Shaw is a stop-gap.
But the point was that Biggio’s time at 2B could be influenced by Bichette’s ability to play SS. I didn’t say anything about Gurriel, but I would assume he stays in LF.
It’s not that hard, Scott. Tell him Wash
It’s incredibly hard.
Easier than 3B though…
3rd to 1B. Phat boy needs to work on his scoops and get use to different angles!
If Hatteberg can, so can Vladdy!
Could this mean they want to try Martin at third long term?
Once again, Groshans or Martinez would probably still be the plan, but I could see Martin mayyybe moving to third, though I think he profiles best at 2B or CF.
Don’t get me wrong I like Orelvis Martinez but aren’t Miguel Hiraldo and Otto Lopez a little bit closer to the show then Martinez? Nobody ever mentions those guys but I think they have been pretty impressive in their pro careers so far, not a lot of power but they can hit for contact and they take walks. It’s hard to believe we just graduated our 3 best infield prospects last year when we have another impressive group of infielders in Martin, Groshans, Martinez, Hiraldo, and Lopez right behind them.
Martin may be closer than any of them. Maybe. 2022 he’ll be up, latest.
Jays also have to decide what to do with Kirk & Moreno. Kirk’s weight is a bigger issue than Vlad. If Jansen is the real deal we could see Moreno moving to 3B (very athletic, built like a middle INF), with Jansen/McGuire holding things down behind the plate. But Kirk might be the DH in 2-3 years which means a strong start from Teoscar and/or Tellez means looking to trade them.
i feel like they are kinda giving up. he’s still young enough where he can learn to be a solid 3B.
I agree, I would have waited another year if I were the Jays. However, maybe it will give him more time to work on his defense at 1B and he could probably be and average 1B if he worked hard enough.
With a short season and potential to get a Wild Card slot, why not move Vlad to first/DH for a defensive prospective? A move like this can boost the team defensively and get them to the playoffs. At this point, anyone is possibly able to make the playoffs on a 60 game schedule. From a business prospective, this move can improve their odds that much more. I am no Blue Jays fan, but I think they have a legit shot at that final Wild Card. It would be a boost for those prospects and that organization if they manage to claim that wild card. Any young guy who gets a taste of the playoffs, works harder the following year to repeat the playoffs. It’s a win-win
They’ve added Austin Martin to the 60.
Could the Jays be looking to give him a shot at 3rd?
not this early. very possible he’s up early in 2021, but right into the Majors is crazy.
Groshans would be my pick to be the 3b of the future
He’s got to be one of the best hitters in baseball pretty soon to warrant the hype and the complete lack of defensive value now.
Yikes ! Under performing and now downgraded to position where field players go to die. To much hype….
Everybody was expecting him to move to first base. Plus you’re acting as if he did awful batting in his first season. 15 home runs, a .772 OPS and 106 OPS+ isn’t bad for a 20 year old that played 39 games at AAA.
1b is 1 step away from DH.
He was outperformed by several other players of the close to same age after being the #1 prospect in the whole game. Stock way down.
I’m rooting for him though. Loved his dad and I like Toronto as an organization
I’d love to trade stocks with you, my dude.
You’re still missing the point. He, for a 20 year old, didn’t do bad. He’s going to get better with experience. Not every player comes out of the gates blazing hot like Yordan Alvarez or Tatis Jr. did.
I really don’t think his stock went down. He’s still 21 years old and didn’t do awful in 2019. If anything it went up as he showed he can handle MLB pitching.
I agree with tiny some what. If he lives up to the hype he’s always had with the bat then 1B is fine. (which I believe is a good possibility) but, if his offensive numbers stay around what he had last season he should stay at third. For some reason people expect first base men to put up ridiculous numbers. At least give him some more time at The hot corner. Maybe during the off-season or spring he has been getting more reps in or working with some instructors on fielding drills. He could probably stand to loose a few pounds too. Anyway it’s a short season, jays will most likely not be contenders so give the kid a shot. If he’s horrific they can always move him across the diamond
I feel as if you’re undervaluing 1B. It’s not just where they send poor fielders. If you’re a bigger guy, but can still move, you can add some real defensive value over there. If you’re LH, it’s your only IF option. There’s a myriad of reasons that guys play 1B, and there are some nuisances to the position.
Well that happened fast! He really needs to stay committed to his workout regimens. He could be the next Cecil Fielder if he decides to let himself go. I hope he stays in shape and becomes an absolute beast at 1B. It will be great for baseball if he does.
Montoyos comments said they are keeping the 3rd base option open going forward but shifting him for this season. Could be permanent but I doubt they’ve completely given up on him at third already, they were ready to go with him at 3rd everyday before the shutdown
“Vlad Jr. stroked 27 home runs over 514 plate appearances while slashing .272/.339/.433 as a 20-year-old.”
That’s his triple slash from 2019, but he only hit 15 HR last year.
In B-R’s 2020 simulation he currently has 27 HR, so I think you guys got punked.
Did I miss something? He hit 15 homers in 514 PA.. are they referring to how many he hit in one round at the Derby?
He was 19/20 years old. He’s going to be a consistent power hitter in the majors. Trout struggled his first year too
Exactly, take a look at ken Griffey Jr. slash line as a 19/20 year old, it’s almost identical to Vlad Jr.
Trout had a 123 ABs and only played in 40 games his first season. Not enough to be considered as a rookie.
Rut Row! Quick, sell all your $1000 vlad baseball cards!!
I hope Vlad Jr. plays some games at third, as needed. It’s a mistake if the Jays don’t take advantage of his versatility, at least while he’s young and can still play the position in a pinch.
Okay, I like Rowdy but they should probably trade him while they can, get additional pitching or OF prospects. Being able to draft Martin and having Groshans and Conine In waiting, this lineup is looking great!
I don’t think rowdy has shown enough that you’ll get much back. Just as well hanging onto him and hope he finds it at dh
True, I only doubt he’ll ever see regular at bats at this rate. I remember thinking let’s give Smoak at bats over Morales and he exploded. I’d love to see that with Tellez but with Shaw and Vlad, he’ll never see regular playing time. His trade value may hinge on another team taking raw power in hopes of a Smoak like player and give up young pitching or OF
There’s a guy in Atlanta who’s so hung up on Tellez that I’m sure if Rowdy got packaged with a few of AA’s former draft picks could net us a nice return.
With Freeman at 1B your scenario will never happen.
Never underestimate Alex’s stupidity.
I’ll buy that….
I wonder if this has anything to do with him being out of shape again? I saw 1 video & I thought, he looks like he’s back in 2019 shape all over again. Searched for more videos & pictures, couldn’t find anything.
But if he can’t stay in shape it makes sense. No point in making a square peg fit in a round hole. If he’s gonna be a bigger dude he’s gotta be first or dh. Plenty of good defensive prospects to play 3rd in the pipeline
So, does this mean Austin Martin’s future position will be 3B?
Groshans could be the man there too. And Shaw could stick for a few years if his bat comes around
He hit 15 homers last year….
They are going to trade for Miguel andujar. Andujar for Pearson
Ummm… no.
Gotta love Yankee’s fans proposed trades. Pearson for Andujar? Haha! What’s next, Clint Frazier for Mike Trout?
They’re trying to acquire Ronald Acuña for J.A Happ.
If they’ll pay all of Happ’s salary, and agree to make it Ronald Acuna Sr, why not? Acuna Sr. could probably still play. They ain’t getting Jr. though.
Wow, your just baseball brainiacs aren’t you there Dorothy and Outlaw…..that whole 1 game that Pearson pitched I guess just stokes your optimism and you probably already have him on your all star ballot too…..for your information, Andujar, while defensively challenged, is a proven hitter…with power who would probably flourish playing in Toronto…..remember, he had the Al rookie of the year stolen from him in 2018 but he 52 inning phenom out in Anaheim!
My point is, that would be a trade you would make all day long if you weren’t as pitching starved as the Jays are! And FYI…you Jays fans would kill to have Happ back in that “rotation” you guys have.
No one, and I repeat no one, would ever give up an arm like Pearson for an above average bat with no position.
Dear rocky 7,
If the Jays “would kill to have Happ back in that “rotation” you guys have.” we’d have him by now. Neither the fans nor the front office are pining for Happ.
Lmao you can’t question other people being “brainiacs” when your two points are the Jays would trade Pearson for Andujar and that Andujar was more deserving than Ohtani. Neither of those can be backed up.
You’re sounding like the Yankee fans they’re making fun of. I’m very sure that most of everyone who knows a thing about baseball isn’t going to trade away a consensus top 10 prospect for a third baseman who struggled defensively, and was injured all of last year.
The Jay’s just moved Guerrero to 1B because he cannot play 3B effectively. So your solution is to have them trade a likely future ACE for another guy who cannot play 3B? A guy who is not a starter on his own team?
Andujar is only not a starter because of a phenomenal year by another guy who took the position away from him….making Andujar have to win it back to get it back……his hitting is pretty much unquestionable whether he plays at DH, First, Left or Third, he’s going to be in the lineup and get his 500+ at bats.
Be careful about bragging about future aces who have 1 whole game of experience under their belt….lots of things can de-rail a pitcher much more so that a fielder who can give you 145+ games as compared to possibly 30 starts!
First off rocky7, I am not a Jay’s fan. Secondly, I said “likely future ACE”. Of course he could be a total failure, but you do not trade a guy who has the ability to be one of the best pitchers in the game for someone who has already proven that he cannot play the field. Andujar is a DH. Possibly a 1B. What a coincidence, that is exactly what Vlad is! In fact, that is what this whole article is about! I get it, you are a Yankees fan and you want Pearson, but other teams players are not there just to fulfill your wishes. The Jays need a young ACE. They have one of the top pitching prospects in the minors and the one with the best stuff. Teams don’t trade those for DHs with one whole year of production.
You’re acting as if Andujar has done what he did in 2018 for 5 straight seasons. He did it once in 2018, and was injured all of 2019. Andujar, for all we know, could be a failure, just like Pearson could be.
Why bother with Nate Pearson, I think the Yankees could likely get Juan Soto for Andujar. Andujar is one of the most valuable players in the game…
@ Howie Feltersnatch
There’s about as much of a chance of that trade happening as there is of you living up to your last name.
Such a crazy case with Travis Shaw. He absolutely mashed when he was sent down to AAA for a long stint, but just couldn’t get it going last year. Has to be a strong rebound candidate. He was quietly fantastic in 17-18
Would have given Vlad this entire season to prove he can/can’t play 3B. Now more questions arise.
Will Biggio move to 3B to open the door for Panik at 2B?
Will Shaw play 3B temporarily?
Will the Jays entertain the idea of moving Gurriel to 3B (they view him as a versatile guy)?
If Panik plays 2B, Tellez goes to the bench. If option 2, Tellez plays 1B/DH. If option 3 it puts Tellez on the bench and opens a spot for an OF. Regardless, who’s in RF if Grichuk is in CF? Teoscar? Or is he now on the bench?
More questions….
Panik over Biggio at second? No lol Shaw is the main guy at third for now. And Gurriel should be left in LF.
Panik will never play over Biggio. The question is whether Biggio moves to 3B to give Panik the chance to start at 2B. That all depends on what they do with Shaw and Tellez, and Teoscar to an extent.
I mean, he’s not a very athletic guy as far as defensive capabilities are concerned so I never understood why he was ever made to play 3B. This seems to have been a forgone conclusion. What do I know, though?
Apparently he played short growing up and was immediately moved to 3B. He has a great arm. Glove and footwork was the main question/liability for Vlad.
Crazy trade idea. If 3b seems open for foreseeable future for jays, how about an offseason trade for matt chapman. Yesterday he made a jab at the A’s low attendance issues , boras is his agent, and A’s tracktecord rarely shows them signing players long term. Biggio would seem like beane’s ideal type hitter in a package return.
Yeah, not like the A’s have traded a superstar 3B to the Bluejays for a horrible return in recent memory…
No we expect him to move to dh
Every time someone asks if Austin Martin will play 3b this year, drink a shot
Man, he’s fat!
I’ve been saying for a while gurriel should play 3rd, I’ve even posted it here before. He has the arm and foot work. This makes it easier to play the outfielders on the roster, figure out who says and goes
Why move him to 3rd though when his arm is a big asset in the OF? He’s a guy who came up as a SS but had to move to 2B. Then at 2B he was absolutely out of his depth and moved to LF where he thrived. Why move him away from that? Half of his problem at 2B seemed like he was scared to throw a ball to 1B from a relatively short distance; I can see this happening all over again if he’s got to be involved in starting a double play or throwing to 1B again.
Jury is still out on his ability to track balls out there. However he should improve greatly as he gains experience.
I think the only way Gurriel moves to 3B is if Bo cannot handle SS and is moved to 2B and if Cavan is moved to CF, along with Gurriel taking a step back in LF. I don’t see all of that happening.
When will mlbtr call Guerrero “unplayable in the field”?
As much as I like the storyline that goes along with Vlad Jr. (him being the son of the great Vlad Sr. And everything) I think he really has a lot more refining to do that people generally think/say. Like to me, that he only hit 15 HRs last year despite having AMAZING raw power is somewhat worrisome. I think he really needs to focus on his approach at the plate if he wants to realize his potential based on his immense raw talent. His dad was rather famously known for not having a good approach at the plate – and who knows maybe his son is really capable following in his footsteps. But personally, I think that if he could work a bit more on refining his hitting approach he could really be an absolute superstar… it’s just a matter of whether or not he does it. no matter what he’ll be a fun player to watch for the Jays over the coming years… I just hope he realizes his full potential, because in that case he’ll be an incredibly fun player to watch.
“I think he really needs to focus on his approach at the plate”
At 20:
Strike out rate is better than league average.
Walk rate is better than league average.
His lack of HRs comes from a lack of fly balls. His launch angle will improve back to what he did in the minors, and he will be fine. People really gotta stop expecting kids to be Gods right out of the gate.
Shaw may be cool with 2 weeks at 3rd base, but all summer long might be a little too much.
We knew this moment would come because I told you it would come two years ago. #scoutseyes
I can’t see Shaw lasting a 60 game season at 3rd. He’s about done. Drury will be 3rd as soon as he is healthy.
I wonder what a young Frank Thomas would have looked like at third.
With the move to 1B for Vlad, looks like Austin Martin could have the 3B job very soon. Everyone is saying he’ll rise up the minors rather quick and I would t be surprised to see Martin up by ASG 2021
Now hopefully he will stay in shape and not balloon up.