The BlueJays should pursue Ronald Acuna-type deals for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette immediately, writes jonahkeri.
All of which brings us to the Blue Jays and their top two prospects. Baseball teams have the right to call up their best young players any time they like, but only recently has that decision become weaponized. When the Cubs held back Bryant despite the third baseman’s massive numbers in the minors and in spring training, everyone knew they were doing so only to delay his service-time clock to push back his free-agency eligibility by a year.
Though Guerrero was just a teenager last season, his otherworldly combination of bat control, plate discipline and power pointed to a player who was clearly ready to make his mark in the Show. But the Jays resisted the urge to call him anyway, reigniting the debate over. Bichette hit a strong .286/.343/.453 as a 20-year-old at double-A New Hampshire last season, then dazzled in spring training by batting .417/.475/.833 with four homers and two steals in 18 games.
Glance at some of the lesser talents currently occupying the rebuilding Blue Jays’ roster and there’s no question that both Guerrero and Bichette would make the team better, with the real possibility that they would instantly become two of the best players on the team. But with the Jays unlikely to contend for a playoff spot this year and instead focusing on the future, it’s easy to see why they would take full advantage of the rules.
The players’ union failed to properly account for service-time manipulation during its last round of collective bargaining agreement negotiations, so the Jays are going to hold back Guerrero and Bichette. They’ll hold both back long enough to push back free-agency eligibility for a year. They might hold both back long enough to prevent Guerrero and Bichette from becoming Super Two players who reach arbitration eligibility a year earlier than their peers.
That kind of decision comes with risk, though. At some point, fans might get fed up with hearing about a young star’s defence or leadership ability or whatever other trait only additional time in the minor leagues can improve. They’ll look out at a mediocre roster and wonder why their favourite team doesn’t seem to be interested in making the product on the field better. That kind of disenchantment could turn some fans away from the ballpark and their TVs, if left to fester long enough.
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