TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. taking ground balls at third base while wearing a Toronto Blue Jays hockey jersey with George Springer’s last name on the back?
Yes, that actually happened in real life.
It was an interesting scene at Rogers Centre on Wednesday, made possible when the entire team trotted out for batting practice supporting their teammate and his replica giveaway night.
The fact that Guerrero Jr. was taking grounders at the hot corner before starting at the position for just the sixth time this season added to the feeling of unfamiliarity, however, there’s a scenario where that could become an everyday occurrence.
If the Blue Jays acquire a first baseman this off-season, Guerrero Jr. says he’d happily move over to third to accommodate.
“Definitely,” Guerrero Jr. told Sportsnet through interpreter Hector Lebron. “I will prepare myself for that, if that’s the case. If they bring in a first baseman that can’t play third, then I’ll be ready at third every day.”
Hours later, though, the regular first baseman endured a rough night at the hot corner committing two errors in the Blue Jays’ 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in front of a lively crowd of 37,547.
The result itself was largely inconsequential to the bigger picture for the Blue Jays. What’s more important over the next two months is the club’s preparations for 2025, a season in which the Blue Jays intend to compete, as president Mark Shapiro underlined during his media availability prior to the game.
To that end, the possibility of installing Guerrero Jr. at third base for the first time since his rookie campaign in 2019 could create ripple effects for the organization, allowing the front office a greater level of flexibility in its search for impact bats. All of a sudden, pending free agent first basemen such as Pete Alonso or Christian Walker or a trade candidate like Yandy Diaz would look like strong fits.
Sure, it’s not as simple as just plugging Guerrero Jr. into a different position and moving forward. After all, he’s only spent 16 per cent of his big-league innings in the field at third.
His glovework illustrated that on Wednesday when a Ryan Mountcastle grounder in the fourth inning ate Guerrero Jr. up and went through his legs. He also committed another miscue in the seventh when he botched a throw to first base after fielding a chopper with one hand.
Of course, all players have off nights and, to be fair, Guerrero Jr. hasn’t looked out of place in his limited time at third this season. His underrated athleticism has shone through, in addition to his strong arm.
“I’m not making excuses for him, but it was a weird hop,” said manager John Schneider of the first error. “There’s a seam there that [the ball] hits every now and then. That was kind of a weird one, for anyone. And then he made a good play coming in and the throw tailed on him. Those were two weird plays. It’s not for lack of prep or work. He’s out there busting his ass.”
Schneider said he plans to play Guerrero Jr. at third “a few times every week and a half or so,” with the potential for “maybe a little bit more depending on matchups.”
When asked if that would continue into next season, the skipper was noncommittal.
“We’ll see,” Schneider responded. “We’ll talk about that with him as the off-season gets going. But, I think if we do it, it will probably be a little bit more consistent. It’s kind of how you build your team for next year depending on where he’s going to be. But [we’ll] cross that bridge when we get there.
“I think the fact that he’s open to doing it and likes it and has been pretty good at it [bodes well],” added Schneider. “It’ll be a conversation for after the season, really, but I like what I’ve seen so far.”
Guerrero Jr., meanwhile, says he takes groundballs at first and third base every off-season and that plan will remain the same this winter regardless of the direction he’s given. He described his comfort level at the hot corner as extremely high.
“I feel 100 per cent playing third base,” said Guerrero Jr. “I’m the kind of player that whatever I’m playing on that particular date, I’ll give everything that I got and make sure that I’m ready.”
There are also larger factors at play for the 25-year-old. He’s set to hit free agency following next season and the reality is that a third baseman who slugs the way he does would command a larger contract than a first baseman.
“Honestly, I’m not thinking about that right now,” said Guerrero Jr. “If they need me at third base, I’ll give all that I have to try to help my team win games. If I got to play shortstop, second base, first base, then I’ll be there also.”
The offensive side of his game has never been in question and Guerrero Jr. continued that by extending his hitting streak to 19 games with a first-inning single on Wednesday. He launched a 102.3-m.p.h. rocket in the seventh that could have potentially altered the game, but it was caught by right-fielder Anthony Santander’s leaping catch at the wall.
Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis turned in a second consecutive stellar outing against the Orioles. He allowed two runs on three hits over five innings, walking one and striking out seven. The right-hander located his fastball, slider and splitter well en route to registering 13 whiffs.
Ultimately, though, Blue Jays relievers Ryan Burr and Ryan Yarbrough allowed home runs to Jackson Holliday and Santander, respectively, before Eloy Jimenez’s two-run double put the game out of reach.
Speaking of focusing less on results and more on the bigger picture, Francis says he’s making a conscious decision to choose the latter. He was recalled from triple-A last week and believes his time in Buffalo offered a chance to reset his focus.
“Getting optioned, there’s always a positive,” Francis said. “So, I think I just tried to run with the positive and go down and work on my stuff and get back to my routine. I just feel more like myself when I’m in the [role of a starter].
“I [used] that time to grow and get better,” he continued. “You can look up and my ERA is in the 5.00s, but I look up and I see growth. I just feel like the times that you don’t have the best numbers is when you’re growing, learning. I’m trying to learn right now, so it’s all part of it.”