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Toronto Blue Jays: Making the case for a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. call up

By Jason Woodell

MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 26: Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) at bat during the St. Louis Cardinals versus the Toronto Blue Jays spring training game on March 26, 2018, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 26: Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) at bat during the St. Louis Cardinals versus the Toronto Blue Jays spring training game on March 26, 2018, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Making a case for a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. MLB call-up for the Toronto Blue Jays. What’s taking them so long?

I’ve spent my time getting myself into some not-so-friendly debates about the appropriate time for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to make his MLB debut. I would have never thought there were so many amateur GMs and I did not realize how hyper-sensitive people are when you ask them to defend their position. Time may be on my side, but it is NOT on the Toronto Blue Jays side.

Since starting the season 12-5, the Toronto Blue Jays have stumbled into 4th place in the AL East, going 10-20 over their past 30 games. Much like 2017, injuries and underperformance have been the hallmarks. With four months left in the season, the team is 5.5 games out of the wildcard. A  playoff run is not out of the question for this team.

However, the roster in its current state is putrid, to say the least. Donaldson still can’t throw, and his offensive numbers have in turn taken a steep decline. Kendrys Morales couldn’t hit water if he jumped off a boat. Russell Martin may be the leader of the pitching staff, but his OPS and WAR have declined every year since 2014.

The Jays need a spark, and they need it now.  In the last 30 games, the offense has slashed .221/.298/.397. The offense and team need a boost. The time to call Vlad, Jr. is right now! With so many GMs on twitter telling me how stupid this idea is, I’d like to highlight some of my favorite objections.

Service Time – It’s like fans would rather play GM than root for the best players to play. I get it.  It’s a complicated situation. However, now that we are past April 15, the only deadline we are waiting for is the Super 2. Calling up prospects now would lose the team a year at league minimum salary which could mean millions.

Boo-hoo! The Jays have one of the highest payrolls in baseball. The Super 2 however, does not lose a year of control. This is not the same situation as the Braves and Cubs keeping Acuna and Bryant down for two weeks to start the season.

If you have the ability to add an impact bat, you do it now, or you kiss the season goodbye. Also, if you buy into this argument, then you’re telling me that you don’t want any prospects called up til next year.

Pressure – “That’s just too much pressure to put on a 19-year-old kid!” REALLY!  How do you know that? So when is the appropriate time to call up a top prospect? At what age is the pressure manageable? Do you think Ronald Acuna feels the pressure in Atlanta?

The Braves were 12-10 when they recalled him. The Braves have gone 14-7 since and have stormed their way to first place in the NL East. Besides, nobody is saying that you put this kid’s picture on every billboard and anoint him the savior. Just let him play baseball.

What about AAA, bro?!?!  He needs to go there first! – What about AAA?  It’s full of 29-30-year-old journeymen who provide organizational depth. It’s also full of young pitchers that are called away, that can fill in for injuries to the pitching staff.

It is not a barometer for player development. If you can annihilate AA, then AAA will not provide much of a challenge. Just ask Ronald Acuna and Rafael Devers.

What about the roster? – This is one of my favorites. Are you telling me that guys that are hitting in the .150-.175 range at the end of May deserve a roster spot over your top prospect? I know they are under contract.

Atkins and Shapiro either need to make a creative trade like the Matt Kemp–Adrian Gonzalez deal or just cut bait.  Kendrys Morales is not going to get hot, and even if he does, the bat has regressed so much, there is no way he can carry the offense.

So why roster someone like that? Cut your ties and move on. What happens next year if the Jays stand pat? Do we wait until 2020 until Morales’ contract expires?  Seriously… that’s crazy talk.

What if he fails?!? – So what if he does. Failure is a part of the game. Player Development thrives on failure. It does not thrive in unchallenged leagues that allow a guy to put up video game numbers.  Here are the OPS of some of the most notable 19-year-old seasons

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Now, you might say, if Vlad, Jr. comes up and does this, isn’t it better to leave him in the minors. I’ll let you research how good every single one of these guys was the following year. Furthermore, you might say,

“If we call him up and he does this, then the season is lost anyway, and we should just save the year of control.”  When you replace a guy with a .527 OPS and a -0.8 WAR, there is nowhere to go but up.

Oh and by the way, since I have mentioned him a few times. Acuna has not precisely set MLB on fire.

However, the excitement and buzz that he brings to the park every day have positively affected every man on that roster — the same would ring true for the Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Next: Hicks throws fastest MLB recorded MLB pitches

Elite talent makes everyone around them better. So Atkins and Shapiro… don’t wait too long while this lackluster group of overpaid veterans to bury any hopes at the Toronto Blue Jays making the playoffs. Do the right thing. Pick up your phone and make the call.  And while you’re at it… bring up Ryan Borucki and Danny Jansen too.

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