Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. clarified the polarizing comments he made about his big contract.
In an interview with Veronica Batista, Guerrero said that the 14-year, $500 million contract he has is payment for what he’s done in the past, not what he will be doing going forward.
The comments are not sitting well with Blue Jays fans, who have watched Guerrero have a miserable year at the plate with just 9 home runs and a sub-.700 OPS. Given that he makes $40.2 million this season, he has been among the most disappointing players in MLB this year, especially since the Blue Jays were officially eliminated from the playoffs this year.
So, when he made the comments that he did about his mega contract, some fans thought something may have been lost in translation.
However, that does not appear to be the case.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Clarifies Comments
Speaking to reporters in Baltimore after the Blue Jays were officially eliminated from postseason contention, Guerrero clarified the comments he made in that interview.
“No, I don’t regret myself. I’m not lying with what I say. I understand some fans, they don’t understand the way and what I was trying to say specifically, but what I said is the way I feel,” Guerrero said (via Keegan Matheson).
“No, I don’t regret myself. I’m not lying with what I say. I understand some fans, they don’t understant the way and what I was trying to say specifically, but what I said is the way I feel.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Expands on Comments
In addition to clarifying what he meant to say in the interview, Guerrero also expanded on his comments, saying that it’s just how he feels, even if people don’t want to like what he has to say.
“That was a quote from the interview when she asked me how I felt about this year. I said that, obviously, I feel really bad about the year that I had, that I couldn’t help my team get to the postseason. I said I felt — that it’s my personal opinion — that every player gets paid for what they have done. With that said, you guys have got to remember that I signed my contract at the beginning of last year, then I did put up a good year. Then, the kind of playoffs that I had to help the team get into the World Series.To the fans, I’ve never stopped working very hard. I am going to go into the offseason again to prepare myself the best I can. Physically, mentally, everything that I have like I always do for my team and my teammates,” Guerrero said.
This is via his interpreter, Hector LeBron. #BlueJays
We’ll see what the fallout from this is, but these comments are not going over well with fans, who did not see the sort of effort from a megastar like Guerrero, who is getting paid millions and millions of dollars to hit the ball this season.
The hope is that Guerrero can get his head on right and fix his swing mechanics this offseason and get back to the previous version of himself next season. With the Blue Jays being knocked out of the playoff race, Guerrero will have plenty of time to get better.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Clarifies Comments About Big Contract