Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, the godfather of Toronto Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., defended his godson’s remarks about his contract.
Guerrero has come under fire in recent days for saying the quiet part out loud when he told Veronica Batista that he was paid his 14-year, $500 million contract for what he did in the past, not what he’s projected to do going forward.
When given the chance to clarify his comments, Guerrero doubled down and confirmed that the interpretation from Spanish to English was correct and that he did, in fact, mean what he said, which irked the entire Blue Jays fanbase.
But according to Martinez, the legendary MLB pitcher who is also Guerrero’s godfather, his godson was misinterpreted.
Pedro Martinez Defends Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Speaking to reporters, Martinez attempted to diffuse the situation by saying that Guerrero did not intend to say what came across in translation and that his comments were misinterpreted.
“He was misinterpreted. What he meant is that contract came from what he’s already done, and what he can still do. That’s a young man talking. He just didn’t explain himself the right way,” Martinez said.
“He was misinterpreted. What he meant is that contract came from what he’s already done, and what he can still do. That’s a young man talking. He just didn’t explain himself the right way.”
It is worth noting that many Spanish-language speakers have said that Guerrero’s comments were accurately interpreted, and Martinez may just be trying to take the bullet for his godson like a good godfather would do, but either way, the comments that Guerrero made were not exactly the types of things that you want to hear from your highly paid star.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Under Fire
It is fair to say that Guerrero’s comments did not sit well with Blue Jays fans or the Toronto media, who have been grilling the Blue Jays’ superstar 1B since he made the comments that he did.
Even if Guerrero did truly feel the way that he did, it would have been much wiser to keep his comments to himself and not say anything about them publicly.
Had he just apologized to the fans for having a bad season at the plate and promised that he would come back better next year, no one would have batted an eye.
But the fact that he spoke openly about his mega contract with such a nonchalant attitude truly rubbed the fanbase the wrong way, and the fact that he doubled down on it was even worse.
Even if he was misinterpreted, it was still a bad look for Guerrero to say what he did publicly.
Now, the question is, will the Blue Jays trot out Guerrero for the final three games of their season at home at Rogers Centre, knowing that he’s likely to be heavily booed by the fans, or will the team have him sit on he bench as he heals up from some nagging injuries?
If Guerrero does play, then the fans are likely going to heavily boo him for the comments that he made, as they just aren’t the type of remarks that a professional athlete is supposed to say publicly.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s Godfather Pedro Martinez Defends Remarks