<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blue-jays-news-gm-cryptic-vladimir-guerrero-jr-bo-bichette-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays GM gets cryptic on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GM-gets-cryptic-on-Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr.jpg"></figure><h1>Blue Jays GM gets cryptic on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-02T20:01:19-07:00">October 2nd, 8:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-02T20:01:19-07:00">October 2nd, 8:01pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-ceo-mark-shapiro-losing-sleep-toronto-atrocious-season">Toronto Blue Jays were one of the big disappointments</a> of the 2024 MLB season. After making three playoff appearances int he previous four seasons, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-toronto-firing-hitting-coach">Blue Jays took a major step back in 2024</a>, finishing just 74-88 and placing dead last in the ultra-competitive AL East.</p><p>Things have a chance to go from bad to worse for the Blue Jays. Their two superstars, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, will both be hitting unrestricted free agency after the 2025 season unless they reach contract extensions, which has not happened yet. At the team’s end of season press conference on Wednesday, general manager Ross Atkins gave a cryptic response when <a href="https://x.com/BlakeMurphyODC/status/1841511722089062909" rel="noopener">asked about the possibility</a> of Bichette and Guerrero Jr. leaving the team, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.</p><p>“A lot of urgency around next year but having said that, you can’t lose sight of what that means long-term,” Atkins said, per Murphy.</p><p>On one hand, it’s understandable why the Blue Jays don’t want to break the bank for a core that has not won a playoff game together, as they were swept 2-0 in the AL Wild Card in all three appearances since 2020. However, keeping Bichette and Guerrero Jr. gives you a core in the lineup that you can build around and add improved pitching to regain competitiveness.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-bo-bichette-2025-surgery">Bichette’s struggles with injury</a> didn’t help in 2024, as the star shortstop played in just 81 games. His numbers were way down as well, with just four home runs and a .225 batting average.</p><p>Guerrero Jr., on the other hand, still had an excellent season. The powerful bat hit 30 home runs with a .323/.396/.544 slash line. He was one of the sole bright spots in what was a lost season in Toronto.</p><p>Losing one or both of these stars would be a massive blow for the Blue Jays as they try to return to playoff contention. If Toronto wants to restore the promise that they had over the past few seasons, they need to hang onto both of them.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays GM gets cryptic on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blue-jays-news-edwin-encarnacion-major-vladimir-guerrero-jr-endorsement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Edwin Encarnacion drops major Vladimir Guerrero Jr. endorsement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Edwin-Encarnacion-drops-major-Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr-endorsement.jpg"></figure><h1>Edwin Encarnacion drops major Vladimir Guerrero Jr. endorsement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-28T03:31:19-07:00">September 28th, 3:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-28T03:32:42-07:00">September 28th, 3:32am</time><address><a>Tristin McKinstry</a>Tristin McKinstry is an experienced sports writer who got his start back in 2014. He is an Associate Editor with ClutchPoints and is one of the staff's NHL experts. Tristin has worked professionally with The Inquisitr and GIVEMESPORT in the past, and his work has also been featured on Last Word On Sports, XFL News Hub, and USFL News Hub. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Communications at Southern New Hampshire University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays may not be going to the postseason this year. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-vladimir-guerrero-jr-hits-milestone-not-seen-before-in-mlb-history">Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is still producing at a high level</a> in the final weeks of the season. On Friday night, he added two hits to his ledger while driving a run in. Now, he is on the cusp of 200 hits on the year.</p><p>Guerrero has had quite the season despite his team’s struggles. He has 30 home runs and 103 RBI on the 2024 campaign. He is also on the cusp of reaching 200 hits, which would be quite the feat. <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/blue-jays-guerrero-jr-impresses-encarnacion-as-he-nears-200-hits/" rel="noopener">His performances have left</a> former Blue Jays star Edwin Encarnacion in awe, to say the least.</p><p>“What he’s been doing is impressive. I look in the mirror when I used to play, I know I got 100 RBIs, 30 homers, but 200 hits, too? Oh man, that’s crazy. It’s something the fans have to enjoy. The team, we’re very happy with where we are with Vladdy. He’s an unbelievable player, an unbelievable hitter,” Encarnacion said, via Sportsnet.</p><h2><b>Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shines in ugly Blue Jays loss</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr.-endorsement.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Blue Jays had a matchup with the Miami Marlins on Friday, but things didn’t go well. While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added two hits and an RBI, the rest of the team did rather poorly. Starting pitcher Jose Berrios was tagged for six runs in a 15-5 loss to Miami. This game ended up being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/marlins-news-skip-schumaker-final-decision-future">the final game for Marlins manager Skip Schumaker</a>, as well.</p><p>Relief pitchers Easton Lucas and Brett de Gaus did not fare much better. Each pitcher coughed up four runs to the visiting Marlins in their appearances. By the end, it was a horrific loss for Toronto, especially in front of home fans. They are already out of postseason contention, but the loss still stings.</p><p>The team’s best pitching performance may have come from a position player on Friday. Catcher Taylor Heineman shut down the Marlins in the ninth, not allowing a run. He became the third Blue Jays position player to take the mound this season, according to Sportsnet. Ernie Clement and Isiah Kiner Falefa are the others.</p><p>The Blue Jays as a whole have nothing to play for over these final two games. However, Guerrero has personal milestones to chase. One more hit over these last two games would give him 200 on the year. He would become the sixth player in franchise history to achieve that feat. Additionally, he would be the second Blue Jays player with 30 homers, 100 RBI, and 200 hits in the same season.</p><p>The Blue Jays are out of contention as the regular season comes to an end. But fans should continue watching Guerrero over these final two games. Let’s see if he can reach the 200-hit milestone before the curtain closes on the 2024 campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Edwin Encarnacion drops major Vladimir Guerrero Jr. endorsement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blue-jays-news-bo-bichette-vladimir-guerrero-jr-goal-ahead-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette reveals ‘ultimate’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. goal ahead of offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Blue-Jays-Bo-Bichette-reveals-ultimate-Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr.-goal-ahead-of-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette reveals ‘ultimate’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. goal ahead of offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-09T09:33:46-07:00">September 9th, 9:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-09T09:34:13-07:00">September 9th, 9:34am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays are having a very poor season, which led to the organization blowing it up at the trade deadline and moving several important players. There was speculation that franchise cornerstones <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-chris-bassitt-vladimir-guerrero-jr-bo-bichette-trade">Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr could also be traded</a>, but the star duo have stayed put.</p><p>Heading into the offseason, however, it remains to be seen if the two will be in Toronto for the foreseeable future. Trade buzz surrounding Bichette has been active, but it appears the infielder <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/bichette-says-ultimate-goal-is-to-team-up-with-guerrero-blue-jays-long-term/" rel="noopener">wants to play with Vladdy</a> for many years to come.</p><p>Via Sportsnet:</p><p>“When I had time to think about what I want, basically, my ultimate goal really is to play with Vladdy (Guerrero Jr.) forever, to win a championship with him and to do that with this organization,” Bichette said during an interview at Truist Park before heading out for a rehab assignment with triple-A Buffalo that starts Tuesday. “I’m 100 percent committed to doing whatever it takes to accomplish those things. That’s where I’m at.”</p><p>While there’s been speculation that Bichette won’t re-sign, he made it very clear that remaining in a Blue Jays uniform is a top priority. His contract expires at the end of the 2025 campaign so if Toronto aims to lock Bichette up, this winter would be the time to do it.</p><h2><b>Can Blue Jays afford Guerrero Jr and Bichette?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/In-line-image-of-Blue-Jays-Bo-Bichette.jpg"><figcaption>Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Sure,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-shohei-ohtani-also-negotiated-massive-salary-deferral-with-blue-jays-angels"> the Blue Jays were in the mix until the very end for Shohei Ohtani</a>, which means they have money. That being said, committing long-term to both Vladdy and Bo is not only complicated financially but also means Toronto needs to keep this roster extremely competitive yearly. These two want to be in the World Series and finally bring one back to Canada. That is Bichette’s No. 1 goal and he wants to do it alongside Guerrero Jr:</p><p>“We’ve talked since we were 18 years old in low-A, we’ve looked at each other every single year and told each other that we want to be together forever and win as many championships as we can,” said Bichette. “From my point of view, what I’m focused on now is how do we get back to who we are here.”</p><p>Although the Blue Jays have struggled as a whole offensively in ’24, it’s been a season to forget for Bichette. He hasn’t played since mid-July due to a calf injury and overall, has slashed just .222 with four home runs and 30 RBI in 80 contests. That’s not the type of production we’re used to seeing from one of the best all-around players in the Majors.</p><p>Since coming up to the big leagues in 2019, Bichette has been a consistent piece in the Blue Jays lineup. He’s a career .290 hitter and has led the American League twice in hits. As for Vladdy, he’s one of the lone bright spots for Toronto this year, slashing .324 with 28 homers and 94 RBI.</p><p>The reality is the Blue Jays still haven’t made a deep playoff run in the Vladdy-Bo era. So, will the ball club commit to both of them financially? It’s a massive decision they will have to make in the coming months.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette reveals ‘ultimate’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. goal ahead of offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-vladimir-guerrero-jr');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Blue Jays ‘expected’ to make major Vladimir Guerrero Jr. move');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-05-24-guerrero-featured.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Blue Jays ‘expected’ to make major Vladimir Guerrero Jr. move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-05T19:39:57-07:00">September 5th, 7:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-05T19:39:57-07:00">September 5th, 7:39pm</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As a disappointing 2024 season comes to an end for the Toronto Blue Jays, their offseason plan is beginning to come into focus. The most important decision for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-looking-extend-vladimir-guerrero-jr-bo-bichette-amid-trade-buzz">Blue Jays: whether or not to extend</a> Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who will be a free agent after next season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-vladimir-guerrero-jr-stays-confident-with-best-in-the-world-take">Guerrero Jr. on his way to his best season</a> since his near-Triple Crown pursuit and American League MVP runner-up performance in 2021. The Blue Jays <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/09/05/sports/vladimir-guerrero-jr-is-a-must-sign-for-blue-jays-with-a-rising-price-tag/" rel="noopener">are expected</a> to try and offer a contract extension to their superstar according to MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post.</p><p>“The Blue Jays are again expected to try to lock up superstar first baseman/third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. this winter, and though they have a better shot with Guerrero than co-star Bo Bichette, they will need to step up efforts to keep Guerrero, who’s in great shape and back to near MVP level,” Heyman wrote.</p><p>“Previous attempts to extend Guerrero (and Bichette) never got close, and Guerrero’s price is only rising,” Heyman continued.</p><p>Heyman also named Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers and his 10-year, $313.5 million contract as an initial framework that the Blue Jays could work with when the approach Guerrero Jr. with a potential extension offer this offseason. While their offensive output is similar, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-vladimir-guerrero-jr-change">Guerrero Jr., who has recently begun playing third base again</a>, could point to his positional versatility as a reason why he deserves more than what the Red Sox and Devers agreed to before the 2023 season.</p><p>The Blue Jays were expected to compete for the postseason this year. They came nowhere close to that, and need to try and rebuild. Guerrero Jr. would be as good of a building block as any team could hope for as they try and build a competitive roster.</p><h2><b>Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s incredible 2024 season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-05-24-guerrero-image.jpg"><figcaption>© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After a few down years following his 2021 season where he led all of baseball with 48 home runs and 123 runs scored and led the American League with a .401 OBP, .601 SLG, 1.002 OPS, Guerrero Jr. has silenced his critics in 2024. Guerrero Jr. currently has 28 home runs and 92 RBI and is slashing .328/.400/.564.</p><p>While the last place Blue Jays have been a disappointment, Guerrero Jr. has been a lone bright spot. In a season where the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/best-vladimir-guerrero-jr-trade-destinations-blue-jays-blow-up">Blue Jays could have easily sold at the trade deadline</a> to try and jumpstart their rebuild, Guerrero Jr. proved that he should be a part of their future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Blue Jays ‘expected’ to make major Vladimir Guerrero Jr. move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blue-jays-news-vladimir-guerrero-jr-stays-confident-with-best-in-the-world-take');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stays confident with ‘best in the world’ take');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Vladimir-Guerrero-stays-confident-with-best-in-the-world-take.jpg"></figure><h1>Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stays confident with ‘best in the world’ take</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-08-26T08:27:36-07:00">August 26th, 8:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-08-26T08:27:36-07:00">August 26th, 8:27am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays have plenty of reasons to be disappointed over how the 2024 season has turned out for them. But they also have a few reasons to be excited over what lies ahead. One of those reasons is the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-vladimir-guerrero-jr-better-than-hall-of-fame-dad">resurgence of star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.</a>, who, after a down 2023 season, has re-emerged as one of the game’s most feared hitters.</p><p>At the time of writing, Guerrero is slashing .320/.396/.557, with his current batting average being a career-best. Moreover, he has already hit more home runs this year (27) than last season (26) despite playing in 26 fewer games — a sign that his power production is back on track. The Blue Jays star’s confidence is back at an all-time high, and in fact, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40994113/vlad-guerrero-jr-blue-jays-resurgence" rel="noopener">he sees himself</a> towering over his peers.</p><p>“In my mind, I’m the best in the world,” Guerrero said, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.</p><p>Of course, some fans will go to war for the likes of Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr., both of whom are having better all-around seasons for the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals, respectively. Moreover, Juan Soto also has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. beat in terms of on-base and slugging percentage — two statistics that can capture just how impactful a hitter has been.</p><p>But <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-vladimir-guerrero-jr-change">Guerrero isn’t too far off</a> from the top. The Blue Jays star’s wRC+ of 167 ranks fifth in the entire MLB, only behind Judge, Soto, Witt, and Shohei Ohtani — as elite of a company as it can get. Hitters of his caliber have the mindset of being the best in the world. It’s what separates them from the field — the internalized knowledge that they are much better than the opposition.</p><p>The best part is that Guerrero has now been through adversity and has been hardened as a result. But the Blue Jays star’s belief in himself never wavered, and it has paid off for him in a big way amid a stellar 2024 campaign.</p><p>“I never really lost sight of the type of ballplayer I am and the type of potential I have within me. It’s just a process you have to go through. Thankfully I was able to get through it,” Guerrero said in his native tongue.</p><h2><b>Despite Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s greatness, Blue Jays sit in the AL East cellar</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Vlad-Guerrero-jr-with-Blue-Jays.jpg"></figure><p>Baseball may be the team sport where individual greatness matters the least; there are so many factors in a baseball game beyond an individual’s control that it becomes hard for a top-heavy team to compete for a World Series crown. (See the Los Angeles Angels from 2018 to 2023.)</p><p>Thus, it’s not a particularly big surprise that the Blue Jays have underperformed in 2024 despite getting a major bounce-back from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero could only do so much to prop up a roster that has received plenty of underwhelming performances from some of its most important players.</p><p>Only seven position players have tallied 1 WAR or more for the Blue Jays in 2024, and one of them, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, isn’t even with the team anymore. The <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/what-is-league-average-ops-this-season" rel="noopener">average OPS in the AL</a> in 2024 is .710, per StatMuse; only four regulars for the team have either crossed that mark or are hovering closely around it. The Blue Jays’ overall pitching performance has declined as well.  This simply will not cut it for an AL East team with playoff aspirations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.463	3	11	1.218	0

2024 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.463	3	11	1.218	0

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Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stays confident with ‘best in the world’ take

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