This offseason, the San Francisco Giants made significant improvements to their squad. Even though Matt Chapman, Jorge Soler, and Jung Hoo Lee should improve the offense, manager Bob Melvin’s team still needs more strength. Could Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. be a possible trade target in the middle of the season?
One of The Athletic’s Jim Bowden’s predictions for the 2024 campaign was Guerrero signing with the Bay. This was only a small portion of the mayhem he foresees for the trade deadline of July 30. The trade deadline of July 30 is insane, and first basemen are all over the news:
The Cardinals deal Paul Goldschmidt to the Astros (Houston upgrades from a failing José Abreu), the Blue Jays transfer Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (and his additional year of team control) to the Giants, and the Mets move Pete Alonso to the Cubs, he announced on March 25.
In 2023, Guerrero played in over 150 games for the third consecutive season. In 682 plate appearances, he hit.264/.345/.444, with 26 home runs and 94 RBI. In addition, following a breakout 2021 season, his power numbers declined for the third consecutive season. During that season, he hit 48 home runs and had 111 RBI. Before his 2023 output, he followed it up with 32 home runs and 97 RBI in 2022.
Even if Vlad Jr.’s numbers have been steadily declining lately, 2024 will only be his age-25 season. The primary distinction between him and Alonso or Goldschmidt, who might move teams, is that he is the only one with a deal that runs until 2024. Guerrero’s expected income for the year is $19.9 million. It is currently planned for him to become free agent after 2025.
For the 2024 Giants, acquiring the right-handed slugger would undoubtedly be significant. However, stabilizing the 2025 club would also be a very wise move. Lee and Soler will remain in San Francisco, but Chapman intends to activate his opt-out provision in order to become a free agent again the following winter.
It would therefore be extremely beneficial for San Francisco to have a projected run producer in the middle of the lineup for longer than a half-season. even if it implies that there may be a larger cost involved in a future trade.
It could come as a surprise to see a prediction that calls for the Blue Jays to trade Guerrero. particularly since Opening Day hasn’t even arrived yet. With three postseason appearances since 2020, Toronto is hoping to overcome its setback in 2024 by pursuing Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani in the offseason. But Bowden’s forecast in this article is probably connected to another one he made in the same piece.
He said, “Toronto’s John Schneider becomes the first manager fired this season as the Blue Jays underperform once again.”
“On an interim basis, Don Mattingly, the current bench coach, takes his place.”
If the team isn’t competitive enough for the postseason by the summer, the front staff might decide to make a change. Guerrero might become a top trade candidate if he recovers and has a strong season at the plate. Based on 659 plate appearances, FanGraphs’ ZiPS projections anticipate a.278/.357/.492 triple slash with 31 home runs, 100 RBI, and 89 runs scored this season.
