As his stature and status within baseball continues to skyrocket, the amount of money likely to be attached to any long-term deal involving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is approaching the financial equivalent of the stratosphere.
With one year left in arbitration before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2026, Vlad Jr. remains the biggest question the Blue Jays franchise must address on a list that appears as long as his recent 22-game hit streak.
He plays a position at first base that is not synonymous with mega-earnings and yet it’s hard to quantify what Vlad Jr. means to the organization, both on and off the diamond.
He’s the face of the franchise, a box-office attraction, a corporate magnet, but Vlad Jr. can’t do it all by himself, though there are times when it appears he’s capable of shouldering just about anything.
In a hypothetical world where a mega deal with term is presented to Vlad Jr., it can’t be assured that enough money will be available to essentially restock a bullpen, add at least one starter and at minimum sign two power bats.
Under such a scenario, the chances of retaining Bo Bichette, who has resumed baseball activity in Florida following his latest calf setback, are slim to none with the betting money on the latter.
When the Jays’ front office dissects Vlad Jr.’s recent ascension into the ranks of some of the game’s iconic players, how much does it take into account the team’s losing record and how so little pressure has been on this roster once all the eight trades leading up to MLB’s deadline were completed.
When the Jays completed their three-game series sweep of the host L.A. Angels Wednesday night, Vlad Jr. had a three-hit game, which included hitting his 25th home run of the season.
He had 26 in 2023, 32 in ’22 and a career-high 48 during his breakout season in 2021 when Vlad Jr. finished second to Shohei Ohtani in AL MVP voting.
Since his career-tying hit streak came to an end Sunday in a home loss to the Oakland A’s, Vlad Jr. enters this weekend’s series in Chicago against the Cubs on a three-game hit streak.
During his extended streak, Vlad Jr. slashed .494/.558/.1.025 with 10 home runs, knocked in 22 runs and scored 24 runs.
Baseball is inundated with numbers, some of which have absolutely no meaning, some reflecting real importance and others open to interpretation and debate.
In terms of Vlad Jr. when looking at a 20-game window, he became the first player since 1937 to have 35 or more hits, 10 or more doubles, 10 or more home runs and 10 or more walks over that stretch.
Players who reached such rarefied air during a 20-game span is a baseball who’s who in Babe Ruth Rogers Hornsby, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio.
At the same time, Vlad Jr. has been thrown out at third base trying to steal a bag from second following a double with no out.
In the series finale in Anaheim, he was thrown out trying to go from second to third, even though the ball was hit right in front of him.
He’s playing with this youthful spirit and is attacking every pitch at the plate like so few in baseball.
His at-bats have become must see, an air of anticipation accompanying Vlad Jr. when he makes his way from the on-deck circle.
At the same time, there’s nothing to play for and so little at stake for a Blue Jays team that has gone so young that Vlad Jr., who doesn’t turn 26 until next March, is a greybeard by comparison.
One of the most compelling duels played out when Oakland was in town.
Ninth inning in a tight game with flame thrower Mason Miller on the mound, Vlad Jr. at the plate.
Miller reared back and struck out Vlad Jr. swinging on a fastball clocked at 103 m.p.h.
Outside of that dramatic moment, one would be hard-pressed to recall anything remotely close to resembling what played out at Rogers Centre.
Will Wagner getting a hit in his first at-bat in the bigs, one of five in two games, Bowden Francis going a career-high seven innings when he allowed only one hit, Leo Jimenez showing signs he can be a backup, there have been some pleasant developments.
Toss in Ernie Clement, a Spencer Horwitz, even a bit of resurgence, which is always a relative term, from Alejandro Kirk.
Joey Loperfido ended his 0-for-24 slide, while Daulton Varsho had a big night at the plate Wednesday.
Addison Barger is getting more playing time.
And there’s George Springer, who got tossed from Tuesday night’s game for only the second time in his career in an epic meltdown.
Springer has appeared in 11 games during the month of August and has gone 5-for-36 at the plate with 13 strikeouts.
His only extra-base hit came on a home run.
Then there’s Davis Schneider, the talk of the town when he was called up last year when the Jays rolled into Boston desperate for some kind of spark.
If Vlad Jr. has been raking, Schneider has been regressing.
The guy once dubbed by former Jays teammate Brandon Belt as Babe has not gone deep since June 22.
Schneider, in fact, has struck out a total of 106 times this season in 312 at-bats.
He has gone hitless in his past five games and has only two hits in his past 24 at-bats.
Franchise-altering decisions await the Blue Jays, whose only goal for the balance of the season is to get as close as possible to the .500 level, while providing as much as playing time to the many youthful pieces.
Bichette has suddenly been pushed even deeper into the background because he hasn’t been seen on the field and when he was seen the one-time face of the franchise struggled, oozing a body language indicating a change in scenery would be welcome.
And then there’s Vlad, whose story will get worrisome until some kind of clarity is reached.
In the meantime, it’s best to enjoy the experience knowing it’s anyone’s guess how long this will last.
Money, as the say, talks and there’s no way in knowing how loud the Blue Jays want to be heard when talking turkey with Vlad Jr. and his representatives.
In a baseball world where nothing is set in stone, it’s best advised to prepare for life without Vlad Jr., as grim as that might be at the moment.