Legendary Manager’s Unclear Take On Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s Future Bewilders Baseball World

Former Yankees’ manager Buck Showalter’s statement has caused a stir. The legendary manager’s sudden take on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has confused everyone, making them unable to understand what he actually meant. And that’s what fetches a lot of different reactions from the fans as well. So, what is he actually trying to say?

Well, the Blue Jays’ first baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., missed only 12 games in the last four seasons, and that’s praiseworthy. However, Buck Showalter feels that it will be of no use if he doesn’t reach the postseason after the conclusion of MLB’s regular season. Sounds clearer now?

Fans have expressed their disappointment and raised a lot of questions on what Showalter actually meant to say. But before that, let’s discuss Vladdy’s 2024 performance, where he had 616 AB, a .323 average, and 103 RBIs. While he had quite a good 2024 season, Buck Showalter has made a statement on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. becoming a free agent next offseason, and that’s been shared on Reddit on February 20. “All that doesn’t matter if they don’t post up; that’s what’s attractive to me,” is what he said.

There’s a reason behind Buck Showalter’s take on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s performance, though! The Toronto Blue Jays lost to the Miami Marlins last season, finishing 3-1 with a 74-88 record, which has been rather disappointing when chasing a deep postseason run. It was for the first time since 2019 that they failed to make it to the playoffs, and that’s quite surprising given the way Vladdy played to his strengths. So, it seems that Showalter isn’t much concerned about individual performance; rather, what matters the most is whether he leads the team to the postseason or not.

Fans scratch their heads over the unclear take by Buck Showalter on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Although Showalter is famous in the league for his New York stay with both teams, among others, he is also infamous as one of the winningest coaches to never have won a World Series. Now without a team to manage, fans have found they might not trust his opinion too much.

One user on Reddit was trying to understand what Showalter wanted to say, to which he got a response from another user, who compared the Blue Jays’ aim to reach the postseason with the Boston Red Sox, who are in a similar position as well, citing Craig Breslow’s role in the moves. However, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had quite a good 2024 season, with 616 AB, a .323 average, and 103 RBIs. So, given his good performance, it is very likely that the Blue Jays will make the postseason. 

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Echoing similar sentiments, another user on Reddit commented the same, questioning whether he is missing any more context. Based on his response, it wasn’t clarified that what Showalter mentioned as “post-up” was nothing but about making a postseason. The reason for such a statement is that the Toronto Blue Jays failed to make it to the playoffs, as they lost 3-1 against the Miami Marlins in 2024. However, with a player like Vladdy, who had a good 2024 run, the Blue Jays would likely make a great comeback in the upcoming season. 

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 As we all know, once the regular season ends, teams make it to the postseason; however, Buck Showalter’s statement felt different. Despite such confusion, a fan showed his mettle by pointing out that post means making the postseason. Making the postseason is itself something to praise, given that it helps to determine the league champion or any other accolades earned by some players or the team. 

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A commenter agreed with the statement that Buck Showalter made. Based on his response, the amount of time a player spends on the field matters the most; however, it doesn’t matter if the player remains on the disabled list of players five times a year. However, that isn’t the case for Vladdy, as he missed only 12 games, too, over the last four seasons he played. However, no one seems to take Showalter’s statement seriously, given that he has lost his worth, and it’s quite evident the way he has been ignored for selection to manage any team for the last couple of years. Isn’t it?

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Amid these diverse comments made by the fans, one user on Reddit expressed his views on the statement, mentioning the need to install extra supports in the Rogers’ Center to ensure that every player feels safe. Rogers Centre, the house of the Toronto Blue Jays, has been talked about here, and how Showalter might be hinting at a safer working environment.

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So, do you think that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. can lead the Blue Jays to make the postseason? Let us know in the comment below.