TORONTO – There’s something remarkable about the way the Toronto Blue Jays can create tempests in their ever-brewing teapot, even over the most innocuous and mundane of things.
The latest crisis that isn’t is over Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s weekend comments – in separate conversations with Arash Madani of Sportsnet and Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun – about his plans to add weightlifting to his off-season regimen after eschewing at home in winters past.
The Blue Jays and, ultimately, Guerrero, took umbrage that Madani reported the 20-year-old didn’t lift weights ever, while Longley specified that he didn’t lift in the off-season, the result of slightly different quotes on the matter. For the record, Guerrero very much lifts weights, he just hadn’t at home in the Dominican Republic previously.
Regardless, backs got up, questions were asked and drama ensued. Consequently, Monday afternoon media were summoned for an impromptu availability with Guerrero, during which he clarified what he meant.
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Really, all someone had to do was say: ‘Hey, Vladdy really meant he hadn’t lifted previously while he was in the Dominican because he used his time there to do other exercises, mind clarifying?’ and boom, problem solved.
Instead, semantics obscured a real positive, that the remarkably talented Guerrero, carrying an OPS of .789 despite being the youngest position player in the majors, independently identified areas of deficiency and has already identified ways to get better.
That bodes really well for Guerrero and the Blue Jays, but instead, the focus was on some type of miscommunication, likely caused by a subtlety lost in translation, and a matter that was easily fixable instead got way, way overblown.
So, more needless drama, just like the Victoria Day fiasco, just like the fallout from Ken Giles’ trip to Dallas for a cortisone shot, just like the trade deadline.
What really matters is how Guerrero is taking ownership of his career.
Over the course of his rookie year, the majors have shown him things the minor-leagues could not. Weights or not, anyone who saw Guerrero mash in the home run derby would know he’s more than strong enough, but to handle the rigours of the big-league grind, he’s recognized that he needs to better maintain his stamina and physical energy.
More importantly, he’s motivated to do it.
“I understand now after being here that you’ve got to maintain all the strength in order for me to play all 162 games,” Guerrero said in comments interpreted by Hector Lebron before he delivered a pair of singles, including a game-tying base hit in the ninth of an 11-10 victory in 15 innings over the Baltimore Orioles.
Maybe some of that learning could have been fast-tracked had the Blue Jays given Guerrero the September call-up he earned in 2018. Instead, he did what he always did to prepare for the 2019 season – it had worked to that point, so makes sense – and the club spent the spring talking about his need to improve his routines.
This winter, Guerrero plans to work with Scott Weberg, the club’s major-league strength and conditioning coach, and the rest of the training staff to augment his personal program.
Traditionally, Guerrero said, he did lots of conditioning work at home in the Dominican Republic, running, hitting, fielding and raw strength training with things like giants tires. He’s had a weightlifting program from the Blue Jays each year that he’s used at spring training and in-season, and now wants something that runs from season’s end to the start of spring.
“Right now I don’t feel 100 per cent, I’m a little bit tired and based on that, I’m not to change the routine I did before, I’m just going to add the weight program plan,” he said. “I’m going to come back to spring training strong because I want to play 162 games.”
Guerrero intends to keep playing those games at third base, where his defence has remained a talking point all season.
He’s made 17 errors over 815.1 innings on the hot corner with a Defensive Runs Saved rating of minus-3, but has shown flashes of brilliance, as well, the way he did in the second inning Monday when he picked a 99.3 m.p.h. Hanser Alberto smash and started a 5-4-3 double play.
“I feel OK with that,” Guerrero said of his defensive progress. “I know I’ve made a lot of errors and I need to get better at that. I will sit with (third base and infield coach) Luis Rivera at the end of the season, we’re going to prepare a good plan because definitely I want to keep getting better. But I feel good about it so far.”
Guerrero should, too, as amid the unrealistic expectations that surrounded him upon his arrival, he’s held his own, put up some solid numbers and come to understand the ways in which he needs to improve. There’s nothing in his weightlifting comments to fuss over beyond that.
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