Through the first quarter of their season Rocco Baldelli’s club has been consistently inconsistent. That has been evident for multiple players, but veteran free agent addition Carlos Santana is chief among them. While he has been a solid defender at first base, the bat has left plenty to be desired. The addition of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the lineup could help provide some thump, but the hurdles to grab him are plenty.
First, the Toronto Blue Jays would need to be willing to part with a player that has become synonymous with their organization. Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are staples for the Blue Jays, and Ross Atkins may not want to part with either of the franchise favorites even as they struggled to contend entering the summer.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand has heard they may be open to the idea though, and that could help jumpstart something of a retooling for their roster. Recently Bleacher Report put together a list of teams that could have interest in Guerrero Jr.’s services, and with where the Twins first base situation currently stands, it makes sense that they would be on it.
Therein lies the second problem. Signed to a $19.9 million contract this season through arbitration, Minnesota would be adding a sizable chunk of the money they pocketed when cutting payroll. Despite grabbing the most lucrative television deal possible, they didn’t reinvest those funds this offseason, and doing so over the summer while underachieving to a certain extent seems curious.
Guerrero Jr. isn’t a free agent until 2026, which means his final year of arbitration still is on the table, but that isn’t going to come with a significantly depressed price tag no matter what sort of production he puts up this year. Minnesota could use him next year as well, but with contracts kicking in for Carlos Correa, Pablo Lopez, and a handful of new arbitration eligible players, the payroll is going to be in an interesting spot regardless.
Then there’s the suggestion of what it would cost. Despite Feinsand quoting an American League executive saying “the asks were ridiculous” the suggested trade has Minnesota parting with only Gabriel Gonzalez and cash. Falvey just acquired Gonzalez as the only usable piece in exchange for Jorge Polanco, and despite being a fringe Top 100 prospect, that doesn’t seem nearly enough to get it done. Minnesota also kicking in the dollars for the deal makes things less logical.
It’s certainly possible that Minnesota finds themselves as buyers this summer if they can show a better and more consistent path towards contention. How they go about accomplishing that relies on creativity or more buy-in from ownership though, and it’s something we have been given no inclination that they are willing to do. The Twins can’t trot out the same problems months from now if they want to be taken seriously, but what commitment there is to a shuffle is definitely a wait and see game.
What would you be willing to give up if Guerrero Jr. was on the table, and do you think the Twins would actually commit to adding that payroll?
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